Japan Reports 30 Deaths Amid Heavy Snow Conditions
Japanese officials reported that snowfall reached 4.5 meters (14 feet) in some areas of the severely affected northern Aomori region, where most of the deaths have been recorded.
Officials said Tuesday that at least 30 people have died in Japan over the past two weeks due to exceptionally heavy snowfall. The government has deployed troops to help clear massive snowdrifts that are making it difficult for residents in the northern part of the country to leave their homes.
Officials recorded up to 4.5 meters (14 feet) of snow in parts of Aomori, the hardest-hit northern region, where several deaths occurred, including that of a 91-year-old woman whose body was found buried under a three-meter snowdrift outside her home.
A large weather system has brought unusually heavy snowfall to areas along the Sea of Japan in recent weeks, with some central and northern parts of the main Honshu island receiving more than twice the normal amount of snow.
The central government has sent troops to assist local authorities, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a special cabinet meeting on Tuesday, instructing her ministers to do everything possible to prevent further deaths.
Television footage showed people navigating trenches dug through deep snow, while drivers struggled to prevent their vehicles from getting stuck.
Many local schools were closed, and public transport services were suspended in some areas. A resident of Aomori City, the regional capital, told local broadcaster RAB on Tuesday that authorities should prioritize snow removal, as he helped free a stranded van.
“They need to stop traffic and clear the snow from the morning. Otherwise, there’s no solution,” the unidentified man told RAB.
Authorities said they were deploying trucks and heavy machinery to clear the snow, but the continuous snowfall was overwhelming their efforts.
Regional Governor Soichiro Miyashita told a press conference that even government officials were unable to get to work in Aomori City due to snow walls as high as 1.8 meters (6 feet).
“There’s so much snow around the regional government building that even if we wanted to hold an emergency meeting, our staff wouldn’t be able to get there,” he said. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, 30 people have died due to the snowfall between January 20 and Tuesday.
A local police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that one of the victims was 91-year-old Kina Jin, whose body was found under the snow at her home in Ajigasawa, Aomori.
Police believe snow fell on her from her roof. The officer said the cause of death was suffocation.
“As the weather warms up, the accumulated snow melts and falls. It depends on the amount (of snow) and the temperature. Under the roof is a dangerous place,” the officer told AFP.
On Monday, an elderly woman in Aomori City thanked soldiers after they cleared snow from her home. “If they hadn’t come, my house would have collapsed today or tomorrow,” she told local broadcaster ATV.
