At least 12 people were reported dead in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu over the past week due to severe cold, dpa quoted police as saying Friday.

The 12 - mostly homeless people but also including one person moved to a temporary shelter after a major earthquake in April - died due to hypothermia, according to the Kathmandu Post daily.

Temperatures have dipped to zero degrees Celcius in the city in the past week.