At least 60 people have died due to freezing conditions caused by a cold snap in easternand central Europe.

The drop in temperatures, forcing some countries to deploythe armyand set up emergency shelters, is set to continue to Friday, forecasters say.

At least 30 people – mostly homeless – have died in Ukraine. Deaths have also been reported in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, among others.

Temperatures plunged to -20C (-4F) on Monday.

Health officials in Ukraine say nearly 24,000 people have sought refuge in some 1,590 shelters overthe past three days.

More than 600 people have sought treatment for frostbiteand hypothermia during this time.

The authorities saythey are planning to set up 150 more centres, as heavy snow was forecast inthe region on Wednesday.

‘Elderlyand homeless’

The death toll in Poland over recent days rose to 21 on Tuesday.The Interior Affairs Ministry said some had suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from faulty heaters, according tothe Associated Press news agency

Poland had been having a relatively mild winter, until temperatures dropped last Friday from just below freezing to -26C (-15F).

Malgorzata Wozniak of Poland‘s interior ministry said elderly peopleandthe homeless were amongthe dead, AP reports.

Polish forecasters have warned that temperatures could fall further duringthe week, to below -20C duringthe dayand -30C at night.

At least eight people have died in Romaniaand five in Bulgaria.

Troops in Romania were deployed last week to rescue those stranded in cars by blizzards.

In Serbia, police reported thatthe snowy conditions had led tothe deaths of a womanand two elderly men. Two other men, intheir 70s, are believed to be missing inthe south ofthe country.

Reports saythere were also deaths in Lithuania, Bosnia, Slovakiaandthe Czech Republic.

Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16817162#