Death toll from heavy snow in Japan hits 30

[Starmix]

According to the report, heavy snow in Japan has been blamed for 30 deaths in the past two weeks, officials said on Feb. 3, as the government deployed troops to help clear huge drifts that left residents in the country’s north struggling to leave home, according to the Straits Times.

They stated that the authorities recorded up to 4.5m of snowfall in parts of the worst-hit northern region of Aomori, where many of the deaths took place, including that of a 91-year-old woman whose body was found beneath a 3m pile of snow outside her house.

The report said that a powerful cold air mass has resulted in heavy snow along the Sea of Japan coast in recent weeks, with some central and northern areas of the main island of Honshu seeing more than twice the usual volume.

The report added that the central government has deployed troops to help the local authorities cope, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a special Cabinet-level meeting on February 3 to instruct ministers to do all they can to prevent further deaths and accidents. Television images showed residents having to walk through trenches dug into the heavy snow, while drivers struggled to avoid their vehicles getting stuck.

Additionally, many local schools were closed, and public transport services had been suspended in some areas. It said that the authorities must prioritize snow removal, a resident of Aomori city, the regional capital, told local broadcaster RAB on February 3 after he helped to extract a stuck van.

Source: PNA AZERTAC

 

[eLdavis]

That's just really sad, i pray the number does not increase in the near future. The weather is just so extreme these days.

 

[Starmix]

That was so terrifying snow, so heavy that it killed 30 Japanese. My country is lucky for there is no snow here. We only have two seasons, the sunny and rainy. Hoping that the snow has melted now and the sun overtakes.

 

[kit_hung]

This and yet we have climate change deniers.
Some people!

 

[Sanjeev]

That's very sad. I pray such calamities do not take away the lives of people.

 

[Starmix]

It is indeed sad that those casualties shouldn't have left home to avoid such a mishap. There were many who died because of the cold brought by winter ice.