Zoltán Aknai, director of homeless support group the Menhely Foundation, told Inforádió that the night shelters for the homeless are 90% full.

He added that the foundation can provide more shelters in Budapest if even colder weather arrives at the weekend, as expected.

Emília Morva, head of the Central Hungarian region of the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service, said everyone should pay special attention to the homeless, adding that they will accept help in the very cold weather.

Temperatures are forecast to fall to 15-18C below zero in parts of Hungary on Friday and Saturday nights.

Last winter 183 deaths were directly caused by exposure.

The Hungarian Social Forum says people mostly died in their own underheated homes, but the cold also took a heavy toll on people sleeping on the streets.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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MTI photo: Kallos Bea