Beggars or impoverished migrant workers often sleep in the open, with only plastic sheets or jute cloth sacks for cover.

Two bodies were found near the railroad track in Banda, a town 175 miles (280 kilometres) southwest of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, said Surendra Srivastava, a state government spokesman.

The other cold-related deaths were reported in Sultanpur, Jaunpur and Rae Bareli districts, Srivastava told The Associated Press.

The deaths occurred as nighttime temperatures dipped to 39 Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) in New Delhi and other parts of northern India because of westerly winds, said the India Meteorological Department.

Winters are short and mild in South Asia, with overnight temperatures in Uttar Pradesh usually hovering around 45 Fahrenheit (7 degrees) at this time of year.

Many homeless burned rubber tires and waste cardboard to keep themselves warm.

'The bonfire is the only solace in this biting cold,' said Sukhai Ram, a road side vendor, in Lucknow.

Uttar Pradesh is one of India's poorest states and nearly a fifth of its 180 million people are homeless, according to state government statistics.

Last year, the state reported 151 cold-related deaths. -- AP