Snowstorm in northern Japan blocked roads and claimed dozens of lives
Northern Japan has been experiencing abnormally heavy snowfall for the second week in a row, blocking roads and paralysing transport, according to the AP. According to data released on Wednesday, the bad weather has affected 15 prefectures, with snow depths reaching up to 2 metres in the worst-hit areas.
Meteorologists attribute the unusually intense precipitation to a cold air mass from the Arctic that has lingered over the Japanese archipelago. The effects are most noticeable in the northern regions, where local authorities are reporting power outages and train service disruptions.
In particular, more than 1,700 households in Aomori Prefecture were left without power, and most railway lines were temporarily out of service, including high-speed trains. Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita said that due to possible new roadblocks, the authorities are coordinating with services that can ensure the passage of ambulances and fire engines to the scene. According to him, there have been cases where emergency services could not reach the address, so medics had to walk with stretchers.
Schools in the region were also closed, affecting the education of thousands of children. Miyashita publicly called on city authorities to clear main roads more actively, hinting that the pace of snow removal was lagging behind other areas.
According to official reports, 35 deaths and hundreds of injuries related to snow have been reported across the country. Most often, people died or were injured due to falls while clearing snow near their homes or on roofs. Twelve deaths were recorded in Niigata Prefecture. Among them was a man who was found unconscious on the roof of a house in Uonuma on 21 January, as well as a 70-year-old man in Nagaoka who, according to preliminary data, died after falling from a roof.
In total, 393 people were injured in the country, 126 of them seriously. The most serious injuries were in Niigata, where there were 42 such cases. Fourteen houses were damaged, including three in Niigata and eight in Aomori.
Chief government spokesman Minoru Kihara warned that even with the warming weather, the danger could increase, as melting snow threatens landslides and slippery surfaces. Forecasters also predict a new wave of heavy snowfall in northern Japan this coming weekend.
