Cold weather so painful that even winter-hardened Russians complained about it has gripped Moscow and much of the rest of the country. At least two dozen people have reportedly died of exposure nationwide and Russians used a record amount of electricity to keep warm. Temperatures dropped to minus 30 degrees Celsius overnight.
The head of the United Nations refugee agency said on Thursday he is concerned about the fate of more than 40 000 highland quake survivors expected to flee their mountain villages as the frigid Himalayan winter hits, while a Nato official said troops are racing against time to get aid to the most vulnerable.