Russian diplomats will remain in New York despite severe weather conditions stirred up by Hurricane Sandy, a Russian official in New York said.
Maxim Vladimirov, Russia's deputy consul general in New York, told Interfax that the consulate was not considering evacuating local staff and their families.
Vladimirov said that the consulate had kept open a hotline for Russian citizens but that all other services were currently suspended.
"Appointments with citizens have been cancelled due to the extreme weather conditions (severe wind and rain) and the suspension of all forms of public transportation," he said.
A further decision on the New York consulate's work was to be taken Tuesday.
Vladimirov stressed that the consulate's website would provide emergency contact details and the latest information about its appointments schedule.
Although Sandy is technically no longer a hurricane, it is still wreaking havoc across the East Coast.
The storm has already killed at least 11 people from West Virginia to North Carolina and Connecticut and caused a widespread power outage in Lower Manhattan.
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