TOKYO, Japan, January 26 ------ Heavy snow blanketed wide swathes of Japan, snarling traffic, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations and disrupting train travel, leaving at least one person dead.
An unusually cold weather front and extreme low pressure systems set snow falling and strong winds blowing across Japan. Snow was particularly heavy on the side of the nation facing the Sea of Japan, with the city of Maniwa in western Japan hit with a record 93 cm (36 inches). One person had died as a result of the storm and two other deaths were being investigated as related to the storm, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference. Domestic airlines including ANA and Japan Airlines canceled more than 300 flights, while bullet train services were suspended or delayed in northern Japan, media reported.
On a highway in central Japan, cars and trucks were unable to move in the snow over a distance of about 10 kilometers (6 miles), public broadcaster NHK said. Some 3,000 people were stranded at two train stations in the western city of Kyoto after snow and high winds forced service to be suspended, with some passengers forced to sleep on the floor at Kyoto’s main station. Others were stuck on at least 15 trains between stations, in some cases, with some having to hike through the snow to reach a station where shelter had been arranged, NHK added.
Strong winds connected to the storm may have caused the sinking of a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship between western Japan and South Korea’s Jeju island. Thirteen of the 22 crew members had been rescued by noon and the search was continuing. The bitter weather is expected to continue through today.
Source: rappler.com