Dozens killed in Eastern Europe as blizzards and severe cold hit
Source: Agencies |
January 31, 2012, Tuesday
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HEAVY snow and a severe cold snap have killed at least 36 people across eastern Europe and many areas were under emergency measures yesterday as schools closed down, roads became impassible and power supplies were cut off.
As temperatures dropped to around minus 20 degrees Celsius, authorities opened hundreds of emergency shelters across the region and urged people to be careful and stay indoors. Police went searching for homeless people to make sure they didn't freeze to death.
Ukraine's Emergency Situations Ministry said 18 people died of hypothermia and nearly 500 people sought medical help for frostbites and hypothermia in just three days last week. Twelve of the dead were homeless people whose bodies were discovered on the streets.
Temperatures in parts of Ukraine plunged to minus 16 degrees Celsius during the day and minus 23 degrees Celsius during the night. Authorities opened 1,500 shelters to provide food and heat and shut down schools and nurseries.
At least 10 people froze to death in Poland as the cold reached minus 26 degrees Celsius yesterday. Malgorzata Wozniak, a spokeswoman for Poland's Interior Ministry, said that elderly people and the homeless were among the dead.
Until now, Poland had been having a mild winter with little snow and temperatures just below freezing.
In central Serbia, three people died and two more were missing and 14 municipalities were operating under emergency decrees. Efforts to clear roads of snow were hampered by strong winds and dozens of towns faced power outages.
Police said one woman froze to death in a snowstorm in a central Serbian village, while two elderly men were found dead, one in the snow outside his home. Further south, emergency crews are searching for two men in their 70s who are feared dead.
Local Romanian media reported four people had died due to the frigid weather.
In the Czech capital of Prague, authorities set up tents for an estimated 3,000 homeless people. Freezing temperatures also damaged train tracks, slowing railway traffic.
As temperatures dropped to around minus 20 degrees Celsius, authorities opened hundreds of emergency shelters across the region and urged people to be careful and stay indoors. Police went searching for homeless people to make sure they didn't freeze to death.
Ukraine's Emergency Situations Ministry said 18 people died of hypothermia and nearly 500 people sought medical help for frostbites and hypothermia in just three days last week. Twelve of the dead were homeless people whose bodies were discovered on the streets.
Temperatures in parts of Ukraine plunged to minus 16 degrees Celsius during the day and minus 23 degrees Celsius during the night. Authorities opened 1,500 shelters to provide food and heat and shut down schools and nurseries.
At least 10 people froze to death in Poland as the cold reached minus 26 degrees Celsius yesterday. Malgorzata Wozniak, a spokeswoman for Poland's Interior Ministry, said that elderly people and the homeless were among the dead.
Until now, Poland had been having a mild winter with little snow and temperatures just below freezing.
In central Serbia, three people died and two more were missing and 14 municipalities were operating under emergency decrees. Efforts to clear roads of snow were hampered by strong winds and dozens of towns faced power outages.
Police said one woman froze to death in a snowstorm in a central Serbian village, while two elderly men were found dead, one in the snow outside his home. Further south, emergency crews are searching for two men in their 70s who are feared dead.
Local Romanian media reported four people had died due to the frigid weather.
In the Czech capital of Prague, authorities set up tents for an estimated 3,000 homeless people. Freezing temperatures also damaged train tracks, slowing railway traffic.
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