Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on highways in northwestern Japan, and thousands of homes were left without electricity after record-level snowfall since Monday, according to local reports.
About 800 cars and trucks were stranded on highways in Kashiwazaki in Niigata prefecture as of 1 a.m. local time on Tuesday. The number dropped to 300 three hours after intensive snow removal operations were launched, Kyodo News reported.
The Niigata prefecture government requested assistance from the Self-Defense Forces to resolve traffic congestion in Kashiwazaki, adding that congestion also occurred in Nagaoka and Ojiya cities.
The number of snow-related fatalities is unclear. Kyodo News reported that an 85-year-old man died and five others were injured in Niigata, while The Associated Press reported three deaths in Niigata, Hokkaido, and Akita….