Two die as cold snap grips northern France

Two people have died during a cold snap in northern France, local media reported on Thursday.

A homeless man froze to death near Valenciennes, south of Lille, the prefect of the Hauts-de-France region, Bertrand Gaume, told the France Info radio station.

In nearby Croix, a second person died from head injuries after falling on an icy pavement.

Media also reported that two people had been seriously injured in a traffic accident, and dozens more slightly injured because of the winter weather, in northern France.

Due to snowfall, around 1,000 households were temporarily without electricity in the Pas-de-Calais region. Some trains were also cancelled.