MEXICO CITY -  At least 16 people died from a cold snap that has been plaguing Mexico since October, the government said on Sunday.

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Among low temperature-related deaths registered between Oct 21 and Jan 5, 12 took place in the northern state of Chihuahua, and two each occurred in the Coahuila and Puebla states, the health ministry said in a statement.

The victims included 10 men and 6 women, most of them dying at homes and the rest passing away on the streets, it said. Among the causes of the deaths were hypothermia, inhalation of carbon monoxide and burns, as many people tried to use electrical heaters and carbon stoves to fend off the coldness.