Sixteen New Yorkers were found dead outside as the area has been gripped by harsh winter weather conditions.
Democrat socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made the announcement on Monday, and repeated that officials initiated a “Code Blue” warning on January 19 while working to get people inside where it was warm, NBC New York reported.
“Preliminary data indicates hypothermia played a role in at least 13 of the deaths. Three others appear to be overdose-related. Final autopsy results are pending from the medical examiner’s office,” the outlet said.
The city has also opened warming shelters and expanded shelter capacity amid the winter weather. The Big Apple has experienced 10 days in a row of below-freezing temperatures, but highs could reach into the 30s in the next few days, Fox 5 reported Monday.
WATCH — Lee Zeldin: NYC Is Going to Have to “Survive” the Reign of Mamdani:
In regard to the reported deaths, Mamdani said, “Each of these lives lost is a tragedy. My heart was with the families of those mourning their loved ones,” per the New York Post.
“We are continuing to do everything in our power to get every New Yorker into a shelter where they will be warm. The cold is showing no signs of stopping, so neither will the city’s efforts,” he continued.
Mamdani noted none of the deaths occurred in encampments, which city workers are not allowed to disturb.
However, a Queens leader who endorsed Mamdani for mayor is criticizing his administration for not forcing people to get inside amid the cold.
“You can’t let the people stay out there. These are people in crisis,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.
Indeed, Breitbart News on Friday pointed to the fact that ten homeless people froze to death in New York City after Mamdani changed the policy regarding that community.
The outlet’s John Nolte wrote that under previous mayors, officials would sweep the homeless camps and tear them down. However, Mamdani ended the practice:
Leaving homeless encampments in place might sound like a nice thing to do, but it’s not. Tearing down these disgusting camps delivers two positive outcomes: 1) It cleans up the neighborhood, and 2) it forces the homeless into actual shelters.
This is especially important during winter and critical during brutal cold snaps. Why? Well, think about it… Almost all of these homeless people are mentally ill, hopeless addicts, or both. This means that too many of them are in no condition to take care of themselves, so if you force them into a shelter during a bitter cold snap, you are saving a life.
The Fox report said another rush of bitter cold is forecast to hit over the weekend.
