At least 72 die in Mexico cold snap

MEXICO CITY (AFP) Jan 20, 2004
At least 72 people have died over the past three months as unseasonably cold weather hit Mexico, civil defense coordinator Carmen Segura said Monday.

The majority died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by poorly ventilated heating systems, she said.

"Not to minimize the deaths, which number 72, but we must understand that the responsibility is shared by the authorities and the families and we should take note that more than 60 percent of the deaths are due to carelessness," Segura told the press.

States in central Mexico and along the US border have been most affected by the cold wave, she said.

TERRA.WIRE