Russia's brutal early winter claims 123 lives

[figatova]

Russia's brutal early winter claims 123 lives

A bitter cold spell in Russia has claimed 123 lives in the past 10 days, an official said Tuesday, with the unseasonably early freeze testing authorities in a country used to notoriously tough winters.

Temperatures have plunged to up to minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 34 degrees Farenheit) in the Moscow region and up to minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 51 degrees Farenheit) in Eastern Siberia.

"Since the start of the cold, 123 people have died of exposure and frostbite," a medical source was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

In the past 24 hours, 201 people had to be hospitalized to be treated for hypothermia and frostbite, including 14 children, the source added.

Since the start of the cold snap, 1,745 people were affected, and over 800 had to be hospitalized, the source said.

State television reports Tuesday focused on a village in Tyva, one of Russia's poorest regions in southern Siberia, where temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius were coupled with an accident at the local heat station which left some 3,000 residents stranded in the cold.

"There is nothing, not even water, we have to melt snow, and the temperature at home is below zero," one bundled-up resident told Vesti-24 channel.

Some residents, including children, have been lifted by helicopter to the regional centre of Kyzyl, the report said.

Temperatures have been about 12 degrees Celsius lower than seasonal norms in Russia, where the coldest weather usually does not arrive until January or February.

In the Moscow region, Monday became an all-time record for the amount of electricity consumed by residents, Russia's power operator said on Tuesday, blaming unusually cold temperatures.

But Russia's weather service is predicting a drastic temperature hike in the European parts of Russia later this week, with 0 degrees Celsius expected in Moscow.

The emergency ministry warned however that the warming will be accompanied by strong winds and freezing rain that will likely damage communications and slow down traffic.

In neighboring Ukraine last week, the cold claimed 83 people new data showed.

On Tuesday the health ministry declared that the numbers of victims will now be made available only once a week.

(Source: AFP)

http://www.tehrantimes.com/world/104...aims-123-lives

[figatova]

[Duckmanlivesagain]

What's that name they give those bodies they find in spring?

Like spring flowers or something weird like that. What sometimes happens is due to whatever reason they collapse into the snow and die. Then the snow covers them up until spring and that's when they find all the bodies. "oh that's what happened to uncle vanya" kinda thing

[Skwint_hed]

More vodka required

[figatova]

Originally Posted by Skwint_hed

More vodka required

Vodka 'saved' elephants in Siberian freeze

Two elephants have been saved from the deadly Siberian cold by drinking vodka, Russian officials say.

They say the animals had to be taken out into the bitter cold after the wooden trailer they were travelling in caught fire in the Novosibirsk region.

The elephants, aged 45 and 48, suffered frostbite to the tips of their ears amid temperatures of -40C (-40F)

But they were warmed up by two cases of vodka mixed with warm water, one official was quoted as saying.

"They started roaring like if they were in the jungle! Perhaps, they were happy," the official told Russia's Ria Novosti news agency.

The animals continued their recovery in a heated garage of a local college where they were brought by a truck under police escort.

The elephants belong to a Polish circus, which has been touring the region, reports say.

Like with humans, alcohol can make animals feel warmer but it actually lowers their core body temperature, scientists say.

But Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper quoted Novosibirsk zoo director Rostislav Shilo as saying that the elephants were not harmed or intoxicated by the vodka, and that without it they would have died of hypothermia or pneumonia.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20726939

[AntonGLK]

It's warmer now in Moscow. Actually it raining now.

[figatova]

But Russia's weather service is predicting a drastic temperature hike in the European parts of Russia later this week, with 0 degrees Celsius expected in Moscow.

The emergency ministry warned however that the warming will be accompanied by strong winds and freezing rain that will likely damage communications and slow down traffic.

Originally Posted by AntonGLK

It's warmer now in Moscow. Actually it raining now.

No wind?

[smeblee]

I'd die in a Russian winter.

[Vladimir]

It is 28 degrees F ABOVE zero here and I am pretty cold. Can't imagine 51 minus. My bones would shatter.

[tRauma26100]

Originally Posted by AntonGLK

It's warmer now in Moscow. Actually it raining now.

Same as here.
And it was just a few days ago, when the temperature dropped down to -26 celsius. Looking at the forecast now, it seems to be getting warmer towards the next week. Hopefully we'll get rid of this snow.