A cold wave sweeping across northern India has claimed 75 lives in the past three days, mostly among homeless populations. BP Yadav, director of the New Delhi-based India Meteorological Department, told ucanews.com today that the cold wave would remain until Christmas day. “You know why people die of cold. I don’t have to explain it,” Yadav said. He added that northwesterly winds from the Himalayan region in recent days have driven regional temperatures down to unseasonable levels. Local media reports indicated that the victims were mostly homeless who slept in open spaces. Children and elderly were among the worst affected, the reports said. The largest number of casualties was reported from Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. Deaths were also reported in Bihar, Haryana and Punjab states. Hospitals in the region have reported a growing number of cases of influenza and respiratory ailments. The region is also experiencing severe fog that has disrupted air, rail and road traffic.