Seven more people have died from the cold wave sweeping across Bihar as the death toll reached 21 and the government declared all schools and colleges closed.
With the normal life badly hit by the intense cold wave in the last three days, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered the closure of all government and private schools and colleges from Thursday till Tuesday next.
According to an official, the temperature hovers between five to six degrees celsius in several parts of the state.
Most of those who died were poor and elderly living in the rural areas of north Bihar districts of Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Araria, Samastipur, Nalanda, Patna and Gaya.
Hundreds of homeless people living here complained to the chief minister on Wednesday about the failure of the district administration to provide them with firewood to keep themselves warm.
Moreover, dense fog affected road and rail transport for the last three days with trains running four to five hours behind schedule.