Ice in Sea of Azov traps at least 21 vessels near Ukraine

Thick ice in the Sea of Azov to the south of cold-plagued Ukraine has trapped at least 21 vessels, the Emergencies Ministry said Friday. The government launched rescue operations on Thursday to assist the crew members on the vessels who required emergency treatment, the ministry said. A helicopter delivered a woman with hypothermia and a man with heart problems to an area hospital, authorities said, adding that two icebreakers have been dispatched to free the iced-in vessels. More than 130 people in Ukraine have died from hypothermia since an abnormal cold wave entered the country in late January. Forecasters say that temperatures in some region would plunge to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius in the coming week.