35 People Killed by Heavy Snow in Northern Japan for Two Weeks

JAKARTA - Heavy snow has hit northern Japan in the last two weeks, causing 35 deaths.

Japanese government officials on Wednesday, February 4, quoted from AP, said that the death factor included sudden heart attacks or slipping while shoveling snow.

The highest number of deaths was in the rice-producing area of Niigata Prefecture with a total of 12 people, including a man in his 50s who was found unconscious on the roof of his house in Uonuma City on January 21.

In Nagaoka City, a man in his 70s was found unconscious in front of his house and rushed to the hospital and was later pronounced dead. He is believed to have fallen from the roof while shoveling snow, according to the Niigata Government.

To date, 15 prefectures in northern Japan have been affected by heavy snow, with the amount of snow accumulating in the most severe areas estimated at 2 meters.