At least 31 people have died due to winter chill in mid-Terai districts till Sunday afternoon.

Five persons succumbed to cold wave in Bara, Parsa and Rautahat districts today, reports said. Two persons died in Dohari VDC of Bara while two others died in Parsa, one each in Mahadevpura and Bhikhampatti VDCs.

Similarly, one death was reported in Hathimai VDC in Rautahat district.

Of the total 31 cold wave deaths, 17 have been reported in Rautahat, 8 in Parsa and 6 in Bara within last two weeks. Mostly children and the elderly have been affected by the freezing cold.

The Narayani Sub-regional Hospital in Birganj, Parsa, has said the number of cold wave-related patients, mainly with respiratory complications, headache and fever, is rising, reports added.