At least 11 people were killed and 226 others injured in the heavy snowfall in the country, Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Monday.
Provincial officials said that 3 people, between their sixties and eighties, died in Fukui Prefecture, on Saturday and Sunday.
Officials added that 47 people in the governorate were mainly injured by slipping or falling from roofs while removing snow. Five were taken to hospital after falling ill and trapped in their cars in the heavy snow.
In Niigata Prefecture, 4 people were killed during the snow removal work.
About 1,000 cars were stranded on the Hokuriku Expressway in Fukui Prefecture during a snowstorm on Sunday. More than 200 cars were stuck in heavy snow on the Tokai-Hokuriku Highway in Toyama Prefecture, while up to 250 cars were trapped on National Road No. 8 in Niigata Prefecture.
The three provinces requested the Self-Defense Forces to assist in the rescue efforts.
The meteorological agency said that more than 10 observation points in the area along the Sea of Japan recorded record snowfall for 72 hours, until late Sunday night, during the current cold wave.
Source: “asahi.com”
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