UKRAINE: Thirteen more people have died of cold in Ukraine in the past 24 hours, pushing up to 43 the death toll from freezing temperatures gripping the former Soviet republic, according to the Emergencies Ministry

Record ID: 333213

  • Title: UKRAINE: Thirteen more people have died of cold in Ukraine in the past 24 hours, pushing up to 43 the death toll from freezing temperatures gripping the former Soviet republic, according to the Emergencies Ministry
  • Date: 2nd February 2012
  • Summary: KIEV, UKRAINE (FEBRUARY 1, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF A WOMAN CLEANING STREET NEXT TO SAINT SOFIA CHURCH IN KIEV LORRY CARING LOAD OF SNOW MAN DRINKING COFFEE ON THE STREET MONUMENT COVERED WITH SNOW WITH SAINT SOFIA CHURCH ON THE BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CROSSING THE STREET DOG ON THE STREET EMERGENCY MINISTRY SHELTER PLAQUE READING IN UKRAINIAN "MOBILE HEATED SHELTER" MAN WALKING INTO THE SHELTER .EMERGENCY MINISTRY WORKERS PREPARING FOOD FOR HOMELESS VARIOUS OF HOMELESS MAN VIKTOR EATING. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HOMELESS MAN VIKTOR, SAYING: "Now yes, now it's really cold. Early, till mid January was not cold. Then it started to get colder, and I don't know how long it will last. They say all of February will be cold. And the first half of March. So we have to get ready for this somehow. " EMERGENCY MINISTRY WORKER ON THE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) EMERGENCY MINISTRY WORKER, SAYING: "People are coming here to warm up and to eat. I don't keep a record of how many people are coming, but you can see, people are coming all the time." SMOKE FROM THE CHIMNEY CAR COVERED WITH SNOW VARIOUS OF STREETS
  • Embargoed: 17th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine, Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA3FLEJTBXZZKX6YVZU78R0M2XS
  • Story Text: A cold spell sweeping across Ukraine killed 13 more people, according to reports from the Ukrainian Emergencies Ministry on Wednesday (February 1), bringing the death toll up to 43, Ukraine is shivering through its coldest winter in six years, with overnight temperatures sinking as low as minus 33 Celsius (minus 27 Fahrenheit).
    Most of the victims were homeless people who live rough most of the year, according to the ministry.
    Several hundred heated tents have been set up around the country to provide makeshift accommodation and dispense food and drinks to homeless people.
    One homeless man, Viktor, had stopped in the tent to warm up and eat a bowl of soup.
    "Now yes, now it's really cold. Early, till mid January was not cold. Then it started to get colder, and I don't know how long it will last. They say all of February will be cold. And the first half of March. So we have to get ready for this somehow," Viktor said.
    An Emergency Ministry worker said the flow of people to the tent was more or less constant.
    "People are coming here to warm up and to eat. I don't keep a record of how many people are coming, but you can see, people are coming all the time," the Emergency Ministry worker told Reuters.
    The ministry said that of the 43 people who have died over the past five days, 28 were found dead on the streets, 7 in their homes and 8 died while receiving medical care.
    Hundreds of others have been treated in hospital for frostbite, hypothermia and other cold-related ailments.
    January temperatures in Ukraine do not normally sink below minus 15C. The ministry said 1,600 centres had been set up to provide shelter and hand out food for the homeless.
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