Three more people have died from extreme cold in the past 24 hours in Poland, as night time temperatures drop to minus 20 Celsius.
In February alone 29 people have frozen to death with over 200 dying of hypothermia this winter in total.
The latest casualties were reported in central and eastern Poland.
“ A 48 year old man died in Mazowsze province, another man aged 48 died in Lublin province and another man was found dead in Lodz province. A total of 201 people have died of frost since the beginning of November last year,” says Anna Swierczewska from the Government Security Centre.
The centre and police appeal to Poles to inform the emergency services about people seen lying outdoors, seeking shelter in allotment gardens or bus stops as well as elderly who may have problems with heating their homes sufficiently well.
Meanwhile, conflicting suggestions are reaching city residents on how to treat the homeless seeking shelter from frost at apartment block staircases.
“Homeless can count on professional help and there is no need to open staircases to them,” says Lidia Leonska, a press spokesperson of a family assistance centre in Poznan, in response to complaints from residents that the homeless keep trying to sleep in apartment bloc hallways.
“The homeless can count on help in Poznan. Shelters are open all the year round and ready to take in homeless people”, the spokesperson said.
“Don’t force the homeless to leave cellars and staircases when there is severe frost outside”, appeals Piotr Wadowy, however, a Capuchin friar from Warsaw. “Let them stay in if they behave peacefully and are not drunk,” the friar adds.
He also calls on Poles to hand over unwanted clothes to the homeless to help them weather the hard winter time.
Maximum temperatures range in Poland today from minus 13 Celsius in the north-eastern provinces to minus 4 degrees Celsius in the westernmost regions. During the night frost reaching minus 19 centigrade is expected. The cold spell is to last until the weekend.
Twenty five train services were cancelled in Poland last night due to extreme frost. (kk)