Ukraine's cold snap death toll climbs to 101
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E-mail Xinhua, February 3, 2012
Some 38 more people have died of a cold snap in Ukraine in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 101 across the country, the Emergencies Ministry said on Friday.
The ministry said on its website that 64 of the people who have died over the past seven days were found dead on the streets, 26 in their homes and 11 died while receiving medical care in hospitals.
Most of the victims had been homeless, who got drunk and fell asleep outdoors, the report said.
According to officials, more than 1,592 people have been hospitalized with hypothermia and frostbite.
Schools and nurseries in the former Soviet republic were closed as temperatures are forecast to drop to minus 35 degrees Celsius in the next five days. The authorities have set up 2,940 shelters with hot tea and food.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov asked hospitals not to discharge homeless patients even if their treatment is finished to protect them from the cold.
The cold snap also caused power outages and blocked traffic in most parts of the country.
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