New Delhi -
More than 130 people have died in a cold spell sweeping across northern and eastern India as dense fog disrupted rail and air services in the region, news reports said on Monday.
Twenty five people lost their lives in intense cold or fog-related accidents in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh at the weekend, government-run All India Radio reported.
The death toll in the state due to low temperatures had mounted to 124 during December, the report said. Churk town in Mizrapur was the coldest in the state, recording a low of 0.5 degrees Celsius.
Uttar Pradesh relief commissioner Leena Johri declined to confirm the casualties, saying officials had not reported any cold-related deaths so far.
Twelve more cold-related deaths were reported from the eastern state of Bihar, national capital Delhi and neighbouring Haryana
state, which were also reeling under the cold spell, media outlets said.
Air and rail traffic were severely affected.
Foggy conditions at Delhi airport led to delays of 137 flights and cancellations of 14 more, broadcaster NDTV reported. Seventy-eight trains were running late due to low visibility.
Winters in India are brief, beginning in December and ending by February, but cause many deaths. Weather bureau officials say cold weather is likely to persist over the next few weeks in most of the northern regions. - Sapa-dpa