Record cold in Europe, fox dies in ice block

A block of ice floating on the Danube River with a fox's body still intact inside shows the dangers of this year's cold winter in Europe.

According to AFP, this fox is believed to have fallen into the Danube River in southern Germany and drowned 4 days ago. A local had to use a saw to cut the ice to separate the fox from it.

Shipping operations on the Danube, Europe's busiest river route, have also been affected by the winter.

Fox carcass in ice on the Danube River. Photo: AFP.

This winter in Europe is considered the harshest in many years. More than 60 people have died due to the cold on the continent.

Most of the deaths have occurred in central and southeastern Europe. The victims are mostly homeless people or refugees from the Middle East stranded in Greece.

Bulgarian authorities said the country recorded seven deaths, including an elderly couple in their 80s living in the mountainous region of Smolyan. Temperatures in the capital Sofia dropped to minus 18 degrees Celsius, causing the city's electricity and gas demand to rise to its highest level in 20 years.

BBC reported that places like Montenegro, Serbia, and the Republic of Macedonia had temperatures below minus 15 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days. Surrounding countries like Italy, Greece, Türkiye, and Romania were 5 to 10 degrees Celsius colder than normal.

In Türkiye, heavy snowfall paralyzed traffic in Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait was closed, affecting ship traffic, while hundreds of flights were canceled.

According to Zing