Heavy snowfall across large parts of Japan has killed 17 people over the past 10 days, with thousands of homes suffering power outages, officials said Monday.

Much of the country’s west coast as well as Hokkaido have seen persistent heavy snow in recent days.

Some areas have seen almost a meter of snowfall in a 24-hour period, including the town of Oguni in Yamagata Prefecture, local media said.

The weather agency has warned residents in the affected regions to avoid travel where possible, after cars got stuck on roads in heavy snow.

Government officials said dozens have been injured in the snow since Dec. 17.

National broadcaster NHK reported the dead included a man who fell from a roof while clearing snow and a woman found dead of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in a car.

In Hokkaido, tens of thousands of homes have lost electricity in recent days, as the snow brought down power lines, though most connections have now been restored.

The heavy snowfall is expected to ease from Monday.

Source Japan Times 

BDST: 1654 HRS, Dec 26, 2022
MSK