New York, Jan 26, (dpa/GNA) – A severe winter storm that has gripped large parts of North America, led to the deaths of at least 11 people according to media reports on Monday.
Citing local authorities, USA Today reported at least 13 deaths in five US states, while the broadcaster CNN reported at least 11. The varying tolls in the media depended on how closely the deaths were seen as being linked to the weather.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said five people who were found dead outdoors at the weekend, and were presumed to have frozen to death. However, an official cause of death has not yet been determined, he said.
Death by hypothermia was also considered probable in the cases of three people in the US states of Kansas, Michigan and Texas, according to the authorities.
On Sunday, two people were reported dead from hypothermia in Caddo Parish in the state of Louisiana.
There were also deaths related to serious road accidents in the icy conditions, including at least two people in the southern states of Texas and Tennessee.
In Tennessee, the authorities reported a total of three deaths in connection with the weather, although it wasn’t clear how many of these were due to traffic incidents.
USA Today counted a 17-year-old in the state of Arkansas among the victims of the harsh winter. The teenager was being pulled along by a quad bike on a sled and crashed into a tree. He died at the scene.
GNA