You're reading: Death toll from Ukraine cold spell rises to 61

A cold snap in Ukraine has claimed another 24 lives to reach a death toll of 61 people this month after temperatures dropped to minus 23 Celsius (-9 Fahrenheit), a senior Health Ministry official said on Wednesday, Dec.19. 

Forty-three people died in the streets, nine were found dead at home and nine died in hospitals, Georgy Kozynetssaid.

Around half a metre of snow has fallen, and night temperatures could to drop to -28 C in northern, central andeastern Ukraine this week, weather forecasters say.

Last February, as Ukraine went through its coldest winter in six years, more than 130 people died of cold in the country of 45 million.