Four homeless people died in Anchorage, Alaska, this week amid a storm that dumped more than two feet of snow on parts of the city in just 48 hours.
The latest deaths add to the growing death toll for homeless people in the Last Frontier, where a record 49 have died so far this year, compared to 24 in 2022.
Three men and one woman have been reported dead since Nov. 5, according to the Anchorage Daily News, citing police incident reports.
Snow-covered makeshift camps emerged following the closure of the city’s massive shelters during the outbreak, according to reports.
The victims are Alfred Koonaloak, 61; Alfred Pungalik, 56; Neil Nelson, 36; and a woman who was identified as having died when her shelter caught fire during the blizzard.
Both Alfreds are in wheelchairs.
Flowers were left this week on the doorstep where Koonaloak died, the Anchorage Daily News reported, and “RIP Uncle Al” was scrawled on the wall.
In July, Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson proposed giving homeless people a one-way ticket to warmer climates before Alaska’s winter arrives, The Post reported.
The proposal came after the conservative mayor and liberal assembly could not reach an agreement on the new shelter.
The four homeless deaths this week bring the total number of people who have died while living outside their homes in Anchorage to 49 for the year so far. AP The latest death has added to the soaring death toll of homeless people in the Last Frontier.AP Anchorage has struggled to find solutions to house the homeless since mass shelters closed during the pandemic.AP
Flowers were left on the doorstep where Koonaloak died, the Anchorage Daily News reported, and “RIP Uncle Al” was scrawled on the wall.
In July, Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson proposed giving homeless people a one-way ticket to warmer climates before Alaska’s winter arrives, The Post reported.
The proposal comes after a conservative mayor and a liberal assembly could not reach an agreement on a new mass shelter.
The city has been trying to move people to hotel rooms and other facilities this month but hundreds are still estimated to be on the streets as freezing temperatures rise.
Anchorage broke its daily snowfall record on Wednesday when 9 inches of snow fell in 24 hours.
With Postal wire
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