At least 18 homeless people, who were forced to spend nights on the open, died due to cold in a span of one month in Kathmandu.

According to DSP Hobindra Bogati of the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, 18 persons have died who were compelled to spend nights on the road in the past one month. He said almost all of them died of cold.

He said that many homeless people have been found spending nights on the street wrapped in sacks or lightweight blankets.

Police have started a campaign to rescue the homeless people who are spending nights on the street to the old age homes after the increasing cold threatened their life.

Earlier on Tuesday and Wednesday, police rescued 15 elderly people from the street and took them to old age homes.

Police have relocated seven people at the Gongabu-based Himalayan Old age Home and eight at an old age home in Lainchaur.

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD), the temperature since Tuesday is below two degree Celsius in Kathmandu.

Police assume that around 200 homeless elderly people are spending nights around temples, on the main and inner roads and public places.

Police have started rescuing homeless people from Kalimati, Swayambhu and Sankata Temple among other places and refer them to various old age homes.

Meanwhile, Lions Club of Kathmandu has been joining hands with the police to distribute clothes and food products to the relocated people.

DSP Bogati said that there are a large number of people who are spending nights under the open sky in the bone-chilling cold.

“There are less old-age homes in Kathmandu and they have no capacity to take more than limited number of elderly people. That is why we are searching for other old-age homes,” he said.