At least 52 children had been killed by the cold wave that has hit central and south Peru in the past few days, the Peruvian health authorities said on Saturday.

Severe respiratory disease and pneumonia were the main cause of the deaths, authorities said in a statement. The children killed were mainly from the families of poor herdsmen living in mountainous areas.

The worst-hit was the Puno province, where 42,000 people got respiratory disease, 391 people caught pneumonia and 18 children died.

Although it is now autumn in Peru, the temperature in some mountainous regions fell to below minus 16 degree celsius.

The cold also killed livestock in the stricken areas, where the Peruvian government has been sending relief materials.

Source: Xinhua