Heavy snow kills 30 people in Japan

Heavy snowfall in Japan has killed 30 people over the past two weeks, officials said Tuesday, including a 91-year-old woman who was found under a three-meter pile of snow outside her home.

The central government deployed forces to help residents in Aomori, the worst-hit area, where up to 4.5 meters of snow still covers the ground in remote areas.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a special cabinet-level meeting on Tuesday morning to direct ministers to do everything in their power to prevent deaths and accidents.

A strong cold air mass caused heavy snowfall along the Sea of ​​Japan coast in recent weeks, with some areas seeing more than double the usual amounts.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that 30 people were killed from January 20 to Tuesday as a result of heavy snowfall.

The police believe that snow fell on her from the roof of her house, which led to her death, while the official said that the cause of her death was suffocation. An aluminum shovel was found next to her body.

The source added to Agence France-Presse: “As temperatures rise, the accumulated snow melts and falls. This depends on the amount of snow and the temperature. The area under the roof of the house is a dangerous place.”

Aomori Prefectural Governor Soichiro Miyashita said Monday that he had asked the military to provide disaster relief aid.

He added that he asked the forces to help elderly people in the area who live alone and need help removing snow.