Arctic conditions cripple Europe

LONDON, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Perilous arctic weather conditions across Europe have killed more than 220 people and left many cut off from services, officials say.

Ukraine, which has been hit the hardest, has seen 120 people freeze to death, the highest death toll so far. Bodies continue to be found, with more than 220 dead across Eastern Europe.

A state of emergency has been declared in Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, which is buried in more than 3 feet of snow. Several water shortages have been reported, and many people are trapped in their cars, Britain's The Guardian newspaper reported. Helicopters were dispatched to evacuate the sick in parts of Bosnia that are cut off by the country's highest snowfall on record.

In Bulgaria, 15 people have been found dead at the side of the road or in unheated houses. Deaths have also been reported in France and Poland, and record snowfalls in Italy, Algeria and several Mediterranean islands.

In England, more than 60 car accidents have been reported in the North Yorkshire region due to about 6 inches of snow. The Met office issued nine warnings after snow began to turn into ice across U.K. roadways, the BBC reports.