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Eight people have died in New York City amid a dangerous cold snap that has brought sub-freezing temperatures to the region, city officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The death toll has climbed from the initial five victims discovered on Saturday when temperatures plunged into the teens with wind chills falling below zero. Three additional deaths have been reported as the bitter cold continues to grip the city.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani initially indicated that the victims might not have been homeless, though officials are still investigating the circumstances surrounding each death. The city's medical examiner will determine the official causes, but investigators suspect weather-related factors contributed.
Among the first victims discovered Saturday were a 67-year-old man found unresponsive on 3rd Avenue near East 35th Street in Manhattan, a man in his 30s spotted on an outdoor staircase in Brooklyn, and a woman in her 60s discovered outdoors in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Two additional victims were located that same day - an unidentified man on Hilburn Avenue in Queens and another unidentified man on 69th Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan.
"Frankly, it will be colder than any sustained period that New York has experienced in about eight years," Mayor Mamdani cautioned during a weekend storm briefing.
Dr. Nancy Conroy, an emergency medicine expert at NYU-Langone, reports seeing numerous patients with cold-related medical issues. She warns that life-threatening conditions like frostbite and hypothermia can develop rapidly in frigid weather.
"It takes just 30 minutes for frostbite to occur in freezing weather," Dr. Conroy explained, noting that the city faces continued sub-freezing temperatures over the coming week.
In response to the dangerous conditions, the city declared a Code Blue on Thursday, triggering enhanced homeless outreach services. The mayor emphasized that all hospitals, Department of Homeless Services drop-in centers, and DHS shelters have implemented a "fully open door policy."
"No one will be denied," Mamdani stated, assuring that anyone seeking shelter would be guaranteed accommodation during this dangerous cold spell.
Health officials urge residents to limit time outdoors, dress in layers, and check on vulnerable neighbors as the frigid conditions persist across the five boroughs.
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