Heavy snow in northern Japan during the last two weeks has led to road blockades and loss of human life. As of Wednesday, 15 prefectures had been affected, with snow reaching up to 2 metres (6.5 feet) in worst-hit areas. The unusually heavy snowfall is largely due to a cold air mass from the Arctic that has lingered over the Japanese archipelago. More than 1,700 homes were without electricity and most train lines weren't running, including the bullet trains.
“We anticipate some roads might get blocked off and so we are consulting with services that can help with ambulances and fire trucks to get through to their destinations,” Aomori governor Soichiro Miyashita said. Schools in Aomori were shut, affecting thousands of children.
Also read: China-Japan clash at UN over Takaichi’s remarks
Most of the 35 deaths and hundreds of injuries reported across Japan were caused by falls among people trying to clear their homes of snow.
Twelve of the snow-related fatalities were reported in Niigata prefecture, a rice-growing region in northern Japan, including a man who was found dead on the roof of his home in Uonuma city on January 21. In Nagaoka city, a 70-year-old is believed to have died after falling off his roof, according to the Niigata government.
Japan's chief government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, warned that although the weather was getting warmer, more danger could lie ahead because snow would start melting, resulting in landslides and slippery surfaces.
Injuries nationwide numbered 393, including 126 serious ones, 42 of them in Niigata. Fourteen homes were damaged, three in Niigata and eight in Aomori prefecture. More heavy snow is forecast for the coming weekend in northern Japan.
Follow us
