At least fourteen people have died and more than fifty have been injured by the heavy snowfalls that have been falling these days in Japan, especially in the mountainous areas of the regions from Hokkaido, in the north, to Kyushu, the southernmost island of the Japanese archipelago.
Heavy snowstorms in Japan began last December 17 and since then some regions in the north and east of the country have recorded snow accumulations three times their annual average.
This Sunday, in some cities such as Engaru in Hokkaido, Oguni in Yamagata Prefecture and Gujo in Gifu Prefecture, snow layers ranging from 96 centimeters to 1.20 meters have been recorded.
As a result, the authorities have advised the population not to leave their homes and to avoid taking their vehicles, although in some areas traffic has been closed due to the poor condition of the roads, many of them frozen, details the public broadcaster NHK.
The meteorological authorities believe that the heavy snowfall has already reached its peak, so that in the following days only intermittent heavy snowfall is expected in mountainous areas, where there is still, however, the danger of possible avalanches in areas with high snow accumulation.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
