Blizzard claims 55 lives in Europe


FE Team | Published: March 02, 2018 20:24:34 | Updated: March 04, 2018 10:49:39


Blizzard claims 55 lives in Europe

Severe weather continues to bring chaos to large parts of Europe, where at least 55 people have died amid sub-zero temperatures.

Most transport and flights have been suspended in Ireland where strong winds brought by a storm left some 24,000 homes and businesses without power.

Several other countries have faced disruptions caused by snow and ice.

The death toll rose in Poland, and the public has been told to alert officials if they see people sleeping outside.

The unusually cold spell brought by a Siberian weather system was being felt as far south as the balmy Mediterranean.

In Poland, at least 21 people have died, most of them rough-sleepers.

The high death toll is partially attributed to a combination of the severe cold and alcohol consumption by homeless people, who drink hoping to warm up, reports BBC.

When the night time temperature is -15C, as it has been all week in the Polish capital, this is a deadly combination, our correspondent adds.

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