Cold spell blamed for deaths in Taiwan
Print Edition
A COLD spell in Taiwan is being blamed for the deaths of more than 150 people, most of them elderly and sick, over the past several days.
Temperatures fell to as low as 6.7 degrees Celsius last Thursday along the coast north of Taipei, the island’s capital city.
Taiwan’s Liberty Times newspaper and United Daily News said the deaths of 154 people since then were likely related to the cold.
Reports say below-normal temperatures around much of the island between Thursday and Sunday may have triggered heart attacks and strokes as well as leading to the deaths of elderly people suffering from the flu.
Temperatures in Taipei usually average 16 degrees in January, according to the island’s weather bureau. Because of the relatively mild norms, most households lack central heating, another suspected factor in the recent deaths.
Emergency calls in Taipei rose as temperatures fell to their lowest point, said Wang Yao-chen, the city’s emergency relief chief. The city’s caseload went up more than 40 on Friday and 10 people died, Wang said.
“As for whether there’s a connection with the cold, it’s quite possible that it made people with heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes feel more discomfort,” Wang said.
Although hospitals and emergency personnel are still evaluating exact causes of the deaths, elderly people without indoor heat were particularly in danger, according to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.
“We do predict some increase in the number of cases from severe complications,” said deputy director Luo Yi-chun. “We’d like to advise older people to stay warm, especially at night, when the change in temperature is so large.”
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