160 die due to extreme freezing temperatures

Kiev
Extreme winter weather costs 160 lives in Europe

Published: 11:56, 2nd February 2012

160 people have died in the harsh winter weather. It has particularly affected the homeless in Eastern Europe.

Biting cold winter weather with temperatures far below the normal has so far claimed 160 lives in eastern and southern Europe.

In Ukraine, 63 died during the last week. Tens of thousands have sought refuge in the shelter from the cold down to minus 33 degrees Celsius.

This is especially the homeless, literally frozen to death.

Shivering with cold and hungry has over 40,000 Ukrainians sought help in the more than 2000 temporary tents as authorities have set up to help with warmth and a meal.

In the capital Kyiv the temperature dropped to minus 27 degrees.

Two decades after the Soviet collapse, many Ukrainians still difficult to obtain a living, and more are homeless and unable to fend for themselves.

In neighboring Poland freezing temperatures also turned on, and nine have died over the past days.

This is the total death toll in the country has risen to 29 since the cold weather really set in about a week ago.

Temperatures dropped down to minus 32 degrees in the southwestern part of the country, police said, which simultaneously confirms that most of the victims are homeless.

Heavy snowfall has subsided over large parts of Serbia and killed six people, police said.

Simultaneously, 11,500 trapped in their homes by the huge masses of snow. 70 have so far been evacuated by helicopter from areas not accessible by car.

Temperatures have topped the minus 30 degrees, and thousands were trapped in their homes especially in mountain villages.

Relief workers must use sleds to reach the remote villages where it is impossible to clear roads due to the low temperatures.

In the capital Belgrade, the temperatures remained at minus five degrees for several days, and the homeless who have not been lucky enough to get one of the only 140 seats in the city's only shelter has had to seek shelter and warmth, among other things in the city's trams.

/ REUTERS /

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Comment by Ragnarok on February 3, 2012 at 5:00pm: The small Danish birds suffer particularly in the hard cold

So far, one in four Danish small birds succumbed to the hard frost.

The Jyllands-Posten.

Mortensen D. D. Hansen, ranger and curator at the Natural History Museum in Aarhus, explains that species such as birds King, Wren and Robin Redbreast, some of the birds that will quickly disappear if the cold continues. - If the cold persists months out we will lose 90 per cent. of these birds, he says to Jyllands-Posten.

Many Danish birds feed on insects, spiders and similar food. To keep the heat out, so need a certain amount of food to keep their body fats.

They get no food, they can not generate body fat. This enables them to freeze to death on a single night.

Without food the chances of the birds survive minimized. Therefore, one can find dead birds on the ground that is frozen to death during the icy night, says Morten DD Hansen told Jyllands-Posten.

Unfortunately for the Danish birds the cold continues. The next nine days will Denmark not get temperatures above zero. On the other hand offers several nights at temperatures down to minus 12-13 degrees Celsius. In some places it may be as low as 18 degrees Celsius below zero.

Comment by Ragnarok on February 3, 2012 at 4:49pm: Can actually tell that scientists said yesterday here that if the cold continues for more than a week 90% off all small birds species will perrish? Im like we're used to the cold and so are the birds it just that the cold is so arctic never experienced anything like it here. I'm expecting to see Santa anytime soon.

Comment by Ragnarok on February 3, 2012 at 4:39pm: Good thing some of us have some yet-not-forgotten-jedi-skills

Comment by Maria De Wind on February 3, 2012 at 4:24pm: beginningtolookalotlike....

Comment by truth on February 3, 2012 at 4:21pm: Death toll from Europe freeze tops 220

By Agence France-Presse
Friday, February 3, 2012 16:11 EST

Topics: europe ♦ italy

Temperatures plunged to new lows in Europe where a week-long cold snap has now claimed more than 220 lives and forecasters warned Friday that the big freeze would tighten its grip over the weekend.

A total of 223 people have died from the cold weather in the last seven days according to an AFP tally, with Ukraine suffering the heaviest toll.

People have been found dead on the streets in some countries, while thousands have been trapped in mountain villages in Serbia. In Italy, Venice’s canals started freezing over and even Rome was dusted in snow.

The lowest temperatures recorded in Europe overnight were in the southwest of the Czech Republic, where the mercury dropped as low as minus 38.1 degrees Celsius (minus 36.5 Fahrenheit) overnight.

The EU executive said vital Russian gas deliveries had dropped in nine countries, with Russian giant Gazprom invoking flexibility clauses as it also braves a cold snap. Supplies fell 30 percent in Austria and 24 percent in Italy.

Ukraine’s emergencies ministry raised its death toll to 101 since the cold snap took hold, 64 of whom died on the streets.

Almost 1,600 people have sought medical attention for frostbite and hypothermia and thousands have flocked to temporary shelters.

The chilling temperatures killed eight more people over the last 24 hours in Poland, bringing the death toll to 37 since the deep freeze began a week ago, police said.

Comment by Ragnarok on February 3, 2012 at 2:02pm: Hahahaha King.! It was just an excuse to taxate life and people fell for it.

Comment by KingofthePaupers on February 3, 2012 at 6:27am: Jct: The whole crew of Mann-Made Global Warming hoaxsters who used Mike Mann's "trick to hide the decline" in global temperature should be charged with murder for every person found frozen to death in anticipation of global warming wearing Bermuda shorts.