People shovel snow on a sidewalk in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, central Japan, on December 24, 2022.
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People shovel snow on a sidewalk in Kanazawa, Ishikawa prefecture, central Japan, on December 24, 2022.
AP
TOKYO — Heavy snowfall in large swaths of Japan has killed 17 people and injured more than 90, and left hundreds of homes without power, disaster management officials said on Monday.
Since last week, strong winter snows have dumped heavy snow in northern regions, stranded hundreds of vehicles on highways, delayed delivery services and left 11 people dead. on Saturday. More snowfall over the Christmas weekend brought the death toll to 17 and injured 93 on Monday morning, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Authority. Many of them fell while clearing snow on rooftops or were buried beneath thick piles of snow that slid off the roof.
City offices in snowy areas urged residents to exercise caution in snow removal operations and not work alone.
A woman in her 70s was found dead buried beneath a pile of snow on the roof of her house that suddenly fell on her in Nagai city, Yamagata prefecture, about 300 kilometers from Tokyo, the disaster management agency said. north, where snow piled up more than 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) Saturday.
In Niigata, famous for its rice farming, some makers of mochi, or sticky rice cakes primarily for New Year’s celebrations, reported delays in their deliveries and mochis. may not reach the customer on time.
Many regions in northeastern Japan report three times as much snowfall on average during the season.
According to the Ministry of Economy and Industry, heavy snow knocked down a power transmission tower on Japan’s northernmost main island, leaving about 20,000 homes without power on Christmas morning, although electricity had been restored in most of the country. all areas by the end of the day.
According to the Ministry of Transport, dozens of trains and flights were also suspended in northern Japan until Sunday, but most services have resumed.
