The Press Trust of India said six of the deaths occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia and Mau areas, one of the worst hit by the cold spell.

State authorities are setting up makeshift shelters for the poor and lighting bonfires, with the temperature dropping to seven degrees CelsiusFahrenheit) in some places.

A thick blanket of fog also descended over much of northern India, throwing road, rail and air traffic into confusion.

At least four New Delhi-bound international flights were diverted to other northern cities overnight while many early morning domestic flights were delayed by several hours, airport officials said.

Many overnight trains were delayed by several hours and some were cancelled, the Press Trust of India reported.

On the streets of the national capital, drivers switched on their headlights to negotiate fog which only started to clear after 9:00 am.

"We are expecting these conditions to remain for the next few days," an official at the meteorological department said.

Smog is common over New Delhi and northern India for lengthy periods between December and February as pollution combines with fog.

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