Cold Weather in East Asia Leaves at Least 65 Victims

Unprecedented cold weather in East Asia has claimed at least 65 lives, disrupted transportation networks, and brought snowfall to tropical regions of southern China for the first time in nearly fifty years. The Associated Press has examined the impact of this unusual cold weather on East Asian countries. Taiwan: The temperature in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, dropped to four degrees Celsius, an unprecedented level in the past 16 years. According to government officials, 57 people, most of whom were elderly, have lost their lives. However, a semi-official news website in Taiwan called Focus reported that the number of cold-related victims was 85. Most homes in Taiwan, located in the tropical region of East Asia, are not equipped with central heating systems, and according to a Taipei municipal official, the recent cold air flow caused many victims to die from heart or respiratory issues. According to Taiwan's meteorological department, the normal temperature in Taipei in January is about 16 degrees Celsius. Approximately 9 centimeters of snow has fallen in the highlands of Taiwan. China: Over the past two days, most parts of China have experienced the coldest winter in decades. In Guangzhou, on the eastern coast of China, which typically has very humid and tropical weather, it snowed for the first time since 1967. According to the state news agency, in Anhui province, four farmers who had raised the heating levels in strawberry greenhouses to combat the cold suffocated due to carbon monoxide poisoning. In southeastern China, a woman watching the first snowfall in 20 years from her balcony fell to her death when the balcony railing gave way from the 24th floor. The cold air flow coincided with the start of a 40-day travel period for the Chinese people across the country ahead of the New Year, which will be on February 8 this year. All modes of transportation, including cars, trains, and flights, have been somewhat disrupted. More than 11,000 passengers have been stranded at an airport in Yunnan province in southern China. According to the state news agency, temperatures in the northern part of the country dropped from 16 degrees to 8 degrees from Thursday to Sunday, and in central and eastern China, temperatures fell between six to eight degrees compared to the normal weather for these regions. The China Meteorological Administration has forecast that temperatures in the south will drop by another three to eight degrees on Monday. Japan: Due to heavy snowfall in central and western Japan over the weekend, five people have died, and another is likely to have died on Monday. The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that one victim was a woman who fell from the roof while shoveling snow. The second victim died in a traffic accident caused by bad weather. The third victim was a man who died under a pile of snow, and the fourth and fifth victims were a couple who apparently fell into a water channel while shoveling snow and drowned. On Monday, an 88-year-old woman in western Japan died due to a landslide that destroyed her home. The cold and heavy snowfall have disrupted the movement of cars and high-speed trains in Japan, and several flights have also been canceled. South Korea: On Sunday, the temperature in Seoul dropped to minus eighteen degrees, an unprecedented level since 2001. On Saturday, about 12 centimeters of snow fell on Jeju Island, the highest snowfall since 1984, and as a result, the airport there was completely closed from Saturday to Monday. About 86,000 passengers, most of whom are tourists, have been stranded on the island, and according to the Ministry of Transport and airport officials, about 1,100 flights have been canceled.