Hypothermia Claims Nearly Forty Lives in Poland

(MENAFN) Poland's deadly winter has claimed at least 38 lives from hypothermia—more than double the 16 fatalities recorded during the identical timeframe last year, authorities announced as the nation prepares for its most brutal night of the season.

Deputy Interior Minister Wiesław Szczepanski warned the death count may climb higher, with forensic examinations still underway on two suspected hypothermia victims. Another 54 winter deaths resulted from carbon monoxide poisoning, frequently tied to defective heating equipment.

The country now confronts its coldest overnight period of 2025-2026, with extreme frost alerts blanketing nearly every province. Thermometers are projected to register between minus 20C and minus 30C throughout vast swaths of the nation, officials confirmed Monday.

Szczepanski briefed reporters following crisis coordination at the Government Security Centre, describing the Sunday-to-Monday transition as one of the season's most dangerous temperature drops. Eastern territories face the most severe conditions, he emphasized.

"In Suwalki, temperatures could drop to minus 29°C tonight, while the felt temperature may reach between minus 36°C and minus 38°C," Szczepanski stated.

Emergency response teams have intensified life-saving operations targeting at-risk populations. Thousands of police personnel are systematically searching derelict structures, refuse storage areas, and other locations where individuals might attempt to escape the lethal cold. Officials deployed heated emergency shelters and authorized select railway terminals to operate through nighttime hours as refuge sites.

The arctic conditions have triggered localized disruptions across Poland, with multiple schools suspending classes in affected regions as the mercury plummets.

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