Cold claims more lives in Europe, snow covers south
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-01-26 14:12

Freezing weather has killed scores of people in eastern Europe and snowstorms forced the closure of the Acropolis in Athens and blanketed parts of Sicily and Turkey on Wednesday as the Arctic air pushed south.

Ukraine said 66 people had died there since the freeze set in last week. Neighbouring Russia has asked it to restrict gas usage as demand has rocketed during the coldest winter in a generation in the region.

The Romanian Health Ministry said extremely low temperatures in the country had caused 27 deaths in the past three days.

In a statement it said the victims, ranging in age between 33 and 86, died of heart attacks and hypothermia caused by temperatures of about minus 20 Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit). Seven of them were homeless.

A man walks past the tents provided to homeless persons on a sidewalk near the Centre Pompidou modern art museum in Paris January 25, 2006. [Reuters]

Ten people froze to death or died of burns while trying to keep warm in the Czech Republic in recent days after temperatures fell below minus 30 C (minus 22 F), media said.

Police said another 14 people have died of exposure in Poland over the past 24 hours.

The bitter cold has spread to the far south of Europe, regions which normally enjoy milder winters.

In Greece, more than 400 villages and towns were cut off after 36 hours of continuous snowfall and hundreds of snow-clearing vehicles struggled to keep main routes open.

Ports across the country stayed shut as icy gale-force winds swept across the Aegean, casting a carpet of snow over the islands.

A dog passes by seats and tables covered by the snow on the sea-front of Sevastopol, Crimea, as temperatures reached - 20 C in this Black Sea harbour.[AFP]

A Cambodia-flagged cargo ship sank in the northern Aegean amid a snowstorm on Tuesday, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. All but two of the 16 mainly Turkish crew were rescued by the coastguard and rescuers were searching for the missing.

Athenians also enjoyed the rare sight of the Acropolis under a covering of snow. One of the world's most visited monuments, its marble temples were closed to the public for a second day.

In Turkey, Education Minister Huseyin Celik said the country's schools, due to resume classes after a mid-year break next week, would remain closed until February 6 because of the freezing weather.

Much of Turkey, including Ankara and Istanbul, was covered in snow while shipping was halted on the Bosphorus because of hazardous conditions.

Bulgarian officials said the country's two main ports of Varna and Bourgas on the Black Sea had been closed because of high winds and heavy seas.

Bulgarian media reported that three people had died of exposure since the cold spell began on Tuesday, with temperatures falling to between minus 10 C and minus 20 C (14 F and minus 4 F).

Italy was also suffering from the cold snap, with the thermometer falling to minus 35 C (minus 31 F) in mountains in the northeast. At the other end of the country, heavy snow swept parts of the Mediterranean island of Sicily early on Wednesday.

Newspapers reported that two people died of exposure near Imola in the north of the country, while cities around Italy opened metro stations and railway waiting rooms overnight to provide shelter for the homeless.

The harsh winter has led to a surge in demand for gas as Italians try to keep their homes warm, forcing the government to introduce emergency measures to preserve dwindling gas stocks.

The famous canals in the Dutch city of Amsterdam froze briefly and television news showed footage of commuters on bicycles skidding on black ice, which also caused hundreds of car accidents, ANP news agency reported.