At least eight people have been killed and 45 injured in Japan following heavy snowfall in the country since Friday, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported.
The fire and disaster management agency of the Ministry of the Interior and Communications recorded a total of eight deaths and 45 injuries in Hokkaido, Akita, Yamagata, Nigata and Ishikawa prefectures, according to NHK.
The storm was felt mostly along the Sea of Japan coast, but regions where snowstorms are not as common, such as Shikoku Island off the east coast, were also affected by snow.
On Tuesday, a 20-year-old woman was found dead in a car buried by snow in the city of Kashiwazaki in Nigata prefecture, according to the Japanese broadcaster.
In addition, in the cities of Nagaoka, Kashiwazaki, and Ojiya, people over the age of 80 died while shoveling snow from rooftops.
Due to heavy storms, hundreds of vehicles were trapped Tuesday on a highway through the city of Kashiwazaki.
That same day, at least 20,000 people in Nigata lost power.
Source: TSF
