Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on highways in northwestern Japan, and thousands of homes were left without electricity after record-level snowfall since Monday, according to local reports.
About 800 cars and trucks were stranded on highways in Kashiwazaki in Niigata prefecture as of 1 a.m. local time on Tuesday. The number dropped to 300 three hours after intensive snow removal operations were launched, Kyodo News reported.
The Niigata prefecture government requested assistance from the Self-Defense Forces to resolve traffic congestion in Kashiwazaki, adding that congestion also occurred in Nagaoka and Ojiya cities.
The number of snow-related fatalities is unclear. Kyodo News reported that an 85-year-old man died and five others were injured in Niigata, while The Associated Press reported three deaths in Niigata, Hokkaido, and Akita.
At least 18,000 households were left without electricity in Niigata prefecture following the heavy snow, while traffic services in some areas were suspended.
The Japan Meteorological Agency forecast another snowstorm would fall along the Sea of Japan from Thursday to Sunday.
Authorities claimed that 87 centimeters (34 inches) of snowfall was recorded in Niigata’s Uonuma city on Tuesday, while Nagaoka recorded 76 centimeters (30 inches) and Kashiwazaki recorded 72 centimeters (28 inches).
The same incident happened in December last year when heavy snow hit northern and western parts of Japan, leading to more than 100 domestic flights being canceled on Dec. 26. In January last year, a snowstorm resulted in a 134-car pile-up on the Tohoku Expressway in Miyagi prefecture, killing one person and injuring a dozen others.
Reuters contributed to this report.
