At least 17 dead, dozens injured dead due to heavy snow in Japan

Heavy snow in large parts of Japan since last week has killed 17 and injured more than 90 people, while leaving hundreds of homes without power, disaster management officials said on Monday.

Powerful winter fronts have dumped heavy snow in northern coastal regions since last week, stranding hundreds of vehicles on highways, delaying delivery services and causing 11 deaths by Saturday. More snowfall over the Christmas weekend caused more casualties, bringing the death toll to 17 and injuries to 93 by Monday morning, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Many of them were killed or injured after falling while removing snow from the roofs or buried underneath thick piles of falling rooftop snow.

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In Nagai City in the Yamagata prefecture, where snow piled up higher than 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) on Saturday, an elderly woman was found dead buried underneath a thick pile of rooftop snow that suddenly fell on her.

Many parts of northeastern Japan reportedly had three times as much snow compared to their average snow fall this season.

Heavy snow knocked down an electric power transmission tower in Japan’s northernmost main island at one point left about 20,000 homes without power on Christmas morning, though electricity was restored in most areas later that day, according to the economy and industry ministry.

Dozens of trains and flights were also suspended in northern Japan through Sunday, but services have since mostly resumed, according to the transportation ministry. Gasoline stations and delivery services have not been affected.