At least 258 people have died in India as a result of the cold wave sweeping the north, where air transport, rail and road have also been affected by fog.
More than 15 people died overnight Saturday to Sunday in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, reported news channel NDTV. In the national capital, Delhi, the minimum temperature reached 9 degrees Celsius and the maximum 12, the lowest in five years.
Many victims are elderly or poor people who lack adequate shelter or sufficient warm clothing. A dense fog in many parts of northern India was disrupting rail and air transport and road traffic.
The intense cold caused by snowfall in the mountainous areas of north India has forced the state governments of several areas to dispose of sums of millions to install assist the homeless and economically disadvantaged.
This Sunday, the weather service reported a minimum of 1.8 degrees Celsius in the Punjabi city of Amritsar, while in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, the temperatures dropped to -1.2 degrees.
