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From: C-upi@clari.net (UPI)
Newsgroups: clari.news.weather,clari.world.europe.central
Subject: Dozens dead in European cold snap
Keywords: international, trouble, severe weather, US government,
	non-usa government
Organization: Copyright 1999 by United Press International (via ClariNet)
Message-ID: <Ueurope-weatherURwZm_9FF@clari.net>
Lines: 35
Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 14:24:20 PST
Location: Eastern Europe
ACategory: international
Slugword: europe-weather
Threadword: europe
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Note: (UPI Focus)
Xref: news.cs.columbia.edu clari.news.weather:25917 clari.world.europe.central:14325

  	  				 
	BUDAPEST, Hungary, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Hungarian radio says at least 20  
people froze to death in Hungary in a record cold snap over the weekend 
as massive snowdrifts blocked roads throughout central and eastern 
Europe and trapped people in remote areas. 
	Hungarian authorities say many of the dead were drunk and had fallen  
asleep in the snow, dying of hypothermia as temperatures plunged. 
	Almost 100 villages in northeastern Hungary remain cut off from the  
rest of the world after 27 inches of snow fell on Sunday, adding to the 
record 10-foot snowdrifts on some roads as high winds howled through the 
region. 
	The Hungarian army has been brought in to help with rescue work, and  
helicopters have been used to ferry medication and food supplies into 
some areas and transport sick patients to hospitals. 
	In neighboring Poland, officials reported the death toll from  
hypothermia this winter has climbed to 202, with at least five deaths 
over the weekend. 
	Slovakia, where communications have been disrupted by heavy snow over  
the weekend, said today it has managed to clear most roads. 
	At least eight people froze to death or died in storm-related car  
accidents in eastern Slovakia, while the frozen bodies of three 
mountain-climbers were found by rescue teams in the Czech Republic. 
	Snowfall resumed in western Austria, but authorities there said the  
situation can't be compared with last week's crisis, when 25,000 
tourists were trapped at Tyrol resorts. 
	Meanwhile, further east in Ukraine, six-foot snowdrifts began  
melting, threatening Zakarpatia and Ivano-Frankivsk regions with severe 
flooding. 
	In Moscow, which has seen Arctic conditions this winter, six people  
died of hypothermia last week, bringing the death toll in the Russian 
capital this winter to 100, authorities said today. 
	Most of the victims were described as alcoholics who had fallen  
asleep outside, or elderly, homeless people. 
  	   	

