MOSCOW, Jan. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- The record Arctic cold spell beginning this week continued to grip much of western Russia on Saturday, causing more deaths from exposure to severe cold and straining the energy system of the country.

    Roman Vilfand, head of the Russian Meteorological Office, was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying that the weather could warm slightly to minus 22-25 degree Celsius over the weekend in Moscow and the nearby region after the temperature dropped below minus 30 Celsius on Thursday, but strong winds will decrease the effects of warming.

    This winter has been the coldest since 1978-1979, when temperatures reached minus 38 Celsius. Weather forecasters warned no significant thaw is in sight before February.

    Seven people died of exposure to the severe cold in Moscow in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll in the Russian capital to at least 24 this week, health officials said. The nationwide toll has risen well above 40. Most of the victims were drunk or homeless people.

    The cold front that blew in from Siberia on Monday has severely strained the country's heating and power system.

    The state of emergency has been announced in the city of Balei in Siberia's Chita region, where an accident of the central hot water pipeline left almost 3,000 people struggling with cold and forced many schools to cancel classes.

    An accident of the heating main also left 43 apartment buildings in the town of Tomilino near Moscow without heat.

    Russia started to use its state fuel reserves on Thursday to cope with soaring energy demand to keep households warm and factories running. The cold snap has also forced Russia to reduce gas supplies to Europe. Enditem