One more Muzaffarnagar riot victim dies due to cold, over 200 seek shelter

At least 219 displaced families of worst riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar, which were "forced" to vacate relief camps, on Wednesday appealed the government to provide a temporary shelter to them to escape cold, while one more affected person died due to the harsh weather in Shamli.

Sub Divisional Magistrate Shalender Pratap Singh said that he has sent a team to probe the death in Khandhla area of Shamli district. On Wednesday, a 60-year-old woman had died due to cold near Shahpur camp here in the district.

In a memorandum to Shamli District Magistrate KP Singh, the 219 riot-hit families living in plastic tents in Kandhla area, demanded shelters in government buildings to escape the biting cold wave. They were asked to leave the Kandhla relief camp last month. The families are from areas which were worst hit during the last year's riots. In the letter they have said there are apprehensions that more people, especially children, could die in cold, sources said.

"They have also said that several children are already ill. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old man died due to cold in a temporary shelter in Jidana village of Khandhla area. Mohammed Rozin had vacated the relief camp in Kandhla with his wife and three children and was living nearby in plastic tent since then," sources said.

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