TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) deaths has surged amid the current cold wave, reports said Saturday.

While the National Fire Agency said it was unable to establish a direct link between the current cold weather and the deaths, the rise in OHCA cases was clear, per CNA. On a national scale, December 25 saw 29 OHCA deaths, with the total increasing to 41 the following day and 42 on December 27.

Taipei City recorded 29 similar deaths from December 25 until Saturday morning. None of the deaths was linked to accidents, crime, or injuries.

As temperatures were likely to plunge below 10 degrees C in most of north Taiwan Saturday evening, the authorities cautioned the public to take care of their elderly relatives to make sure they kept warm. The government also warned of the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning due to a combination of using gas and insufficient ventilation.

The lowest temperature recorded Saturday morning was 9.6 C in the New Taipei district of Shiding. The Central Weather Administration issued cold surge advisories for Saturday night for the whole country, with the exception of Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Penghu, and Matsu.