Winter cold snap kills 36 in eastern Europe

A severe and snowy cold snap across central and eastern Europe has left at least 36 people dead, cut off power to towns, and snarled traffic. Officials are responding with measures ranging from opening shelters to dispensing hot tea, with particular concern for the homeless and elderly.This part of Europe is not unused to cold, but the current freeze, which spread to most of the region last week, came after a period of relatively mild weather. Many were shocked when temperatures in some parts plunged Monday to minus 20 Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit).Officials have appealed to people to stay indoors and be careful. Police searched for the homeless to make sure they didnt freeze to death. In some places, heaters will be set up at bus stations.Still, 18 people, most of them homeless, died in Ukraine from hypothermia and nearly 500 people sought medical help for frostbite and hypothermia in just three days last week, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.In Poland, at least 10 people froze to death as the cold reached minus 26 C (minus 15 F) on Monday.In central Serbia, three people died and two more were missing, while 14 municipalities were operating under emergency decrees. Efforts to clear roads blocked by snow were hampered by strong winds and dozens of towns faced power outages.Police said one woman froze to death in a snowstorm in a central Serbian village, while two elderly men were found dead, one in the snow outside his home. Further south, emergency crews are searching for two men in their 70s who are feared dead.In Bulgaria, a 57-year-old man froze to death in a northwestern village and emergency decrees were declared in 25 of the countrys 28 districts. In the capital of Sofia, authorities handed out hot tea and placed homeless people in emergency shelters.The situation was similar in Romania, where reports said four people have died because of freezing weather. There, authorities sent prison inmates to shovel snow and unblock paths leading to a shelter with some 300 stray dogs and puppies.Weather forecasts say the cold snap will continue through the week.