Extreme cold weather bashing countries across Europe has killed hundreds of Europeans as temperatures go as low as, for example, minus 36 Celsius in the Ukraine. Luckily, Indonesians living in European countries with extreme weather are reportedly fine.
“There are 55 Indonesian nationals in total across the Ukraine. But Alhamdulillah [Praise God] all of them are safe and sound. We continuously keep an eye on them,” Indonesian Ambassador to Ukraine Nining Suningsih Rochadiat told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
She added that weather in Georgia and Armenia was not as extreme as that in the Ukraine and that there were no Indonesian nationals permanently living in the two other countries, to which she was also accredited.
The Ukrainian government said on Sunday that the country’s death toll stood at 131, including many homeless people. About 2,300 other Ukrainians have sought treatment for frostbite or hypothermia.
In neighboring Russia, temperatures reportedly had been minus 27 Celsius at the lowest level, while it could have been minus 30 Celsius had the winter cycle this year been the same as that of last year.
“The winter cycle usually reaches its peak between December and January, but now temperatures gradually increase in February. Even Moscow is warmer than other regions,” M. Aji Surya, who is in charge of information, social, cultural and educational affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow, told the Post.
“But Insya Allah [God Willing], all of the 400 Indonesian nationals living in Russia, including 150 students, are all safe. There have been no complaints or reports [of fallen victims]. But we remain alert.”
He said some 200 people — predominantly homeless — were admitted to hospitals for frostbite, but reportedly none had died.
Between 34 and 38 people had died from frostbite in Romania and the number continues to increase.
“But none of them are Indonesians,” head of the information, social and cultural affairs division at the Indonesian Embassy in Bucharest, Hadi Yunus, told the Post.
According to Hadi, there are 95 Indonesian nationals currently living in Romania and two in Moldova.
In Romania’s capital of Bucharest, the temperature stands at minus 7 Celsius, but blizzards accompany the foul weather.
“Temperatures may drop to minus 19 Celsius [in Bucharest] and to minus 30 Celsius in mountainous areas over several days to come,” Widya Airlangga, an information, social and cultural affairs division staff member at the Indonesian Embassy in Bucharest, told the Post.
“Victims are generally those who live in rural areas where heat is very limited and it is difficult for rescue teams to access.”
In Poland, the death toll has risen to 62, following the nine people who died of hypothermia over the past 24 hours, The Associated Press reported on Monday.
