Cold weather kills 55 children in Peru

At least 55 children under the age of five have died in Peru due to a cold wave that has hit most parts of the country.

At least 55 children under the age of five have died in Peru due to a cold wave that has hit most parts of the country, Peru's Health Minister Carlos Vallejos said.

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Plateau regions across the provinces of Puno, Apurimac, Ancash, Cajamarca and Cusco are among the worst hit in the country, which have seen extreme cold weather of -20 degrees Celsius, the minister said Friday.

About 6,300 people have also caught pneumonia as a result of the cold weather, the minister said.