News Asia
Japan Snowstorm Leaves 17 Dead, Dozens Injured
(CTN NEWS) – TOKYO – Heavy snow in Japan has killed 17 and injured more than 90, officials reported Monday. It has also left hundreds of homes without power.
Since last week, powerful winter fronts have poured heavy snow in northern regions, stranding hundreds of vehicles on roadways and causing 11 deaths by Saturday.
“More snowfall over Christmas weekend raised the death toll to 17 and injuries to 93,” according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Many fell while removing snow from roofs or were buried by sliding snow.
A resident shovels snow off around a car at a parking lot in Kitami city, Hokkaido prefecture, northern Japan, on Dec. 24 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)
Municipal offices in snow-hit areas warned residents to be careful and not work alone.
A woman in her 70s was buried dead under a pile of rooftop snow in Nagai City, Yamagata prefecture, some 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of Tokyo, where snow piled up above 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) Saturday.
In Niigata, a rice-growing region, some mochi makers say their sticky rice cakes may not reach clients due to delivery delays.
Residents shovel snow off a sidewalk in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, central Japan, on Dec. 24, 2022. (Kyodo News via AP)
Northeastern Japan received three times its seasonal snowfall.
Heavy snow brought down a power transmission tower on Japan’s northernmost main island on Christmas morning, but electricity was restored in most regions later that day, according to the economy and industry ministry.
Until Sunday, dozens of trains and flights were suspended in northern Japan, but services have mainly resumed.
RELATED CTN NEWS:
COVID Cases Are Expected To Double In Zhejiang, China
