Delhi freezes: Bone chilling cold kills three homless persons in national capital

New Delhi: As Delhi reeled under a severe cold wave, three homeless persons were found dead in the national capital on Sunday even as Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung asked authorities to ensure shelters for all those spending nights under the open sky.

NGO, Holistic Development, which works for homeless people, said bodies of three homeless persons were found and authorities have been informed about it.

The body of one homeless person was found in the premises of GTB hospital this morning, the hospital authorities said.

"The person was staying near the mortuary of GTB hospital since last couple of days and was today found dead in a park near the gate no.3 of the hospital," they said.

The identity of the person has not yet been ascertained.

A complaint has been lodged with the police in this regard and if nobody comes to claim the body within 72 hours, then they will carry out a postmortem of the body, the authorities added.

"As of now it seems that he died due to Hypothermia, a condition in which the body's core temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions," the GTB authorities said.

Apart from this, two more deaths were reported from Kriti Nagar area and Bapa Nagar in Delhi. The deceased were aged between 50 and 60 years, whose identity have not been established.

As minimum temperature plummeted to 2.6 degrees Celsius -- the coldest of the season -- the Lieutenant Governor issued strict order to the concerned authorities to ensure proper shelters to all homeless in the city.

The Delhi government has so far set up 223 night shelters across the city but homeless people can be seen out on the pavements in various localities with officials admitting that the current accommodation was not sufficient.

Officials said 12 more shelters will be made operational in next few days as Delhi Development Authority has provided 10 of its buildings to be used as night shelters.

PTI