TOKYO: Unusually heavy snow in Japan has been blamed for 30 deaths in the past two weeks, officials said Tuesday, including a 91-year-old woman found under a three-meter pile outside her home.
The central government has deployed troops to help residents in Aomori, the heaviest-hit region where as much as 4.5 meters (15 feet) of snow remains on the ground in remote areas.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a special cabinet-level meeting on Tuesday morning to instruct ministers to do all they can to prevent deaths and accidents.
A powerful cold air mass has resulted in heavy snow along the Sea of Japan coast in recent weeks, with some areas seeing more than double the usual volumes.
Since January 20 through Tuesday, 30 people have died as a result of the heavy snow, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
