Foggy start to Republic Day in Delhi, flights, trains hit

It was a foggy start to Republic Day on Tuesday with a dense blanket of white engulfing the national capital, crippling road, rail and air services.

It was a foggy start to Republic Day on Tuesday with a dense blanket of white engulfing the national capital, crippling road, rail and air services. At least 30 flights were delayed and over 50 trains were running behind schedule, officials said.

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"Visibility fell to less than 100 metres around 6.30 am. The situation is likely to continue till afternoon," an official at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

An official at the Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport said around 30 flights were delayed by at least one to two hours. "Some flights too have been cancelled," the official added.

A railway spokesperson said over 50 trains were running behind schedule due to dense fog in Moradabad region of Uttar Pradesh.

"So far we have rescheduled 14 trains," the official added.

The few motorists on the roads were forced the switch on their lights and drive at snail's pace.

"I kept my parking lights on throughout my journey from home to office. The visibility was almost zero and everyone on road was driving at a speed less than 10 km per hour," said Sandesh Kalia, a software engineer who had to go to work.