Three dead in heavy snowfall in Japan

Heavy snow in Japan has killed at least three people since the weekend.

Hundreds of cars were stranded on highways, trains were disrupted and thousands of homes were without power, officials said Wednesday.

A powerful weather system first brought snow to Japan’s northern coast on Saturday, with parts of Niigata, Yamagata and Aomori prefectures receiving more than 6.5 feet of snow.

The Fire and Disaster Management Authority reported that three people were killed and 10 others were injured.

In Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, the hardest-hit city, an 85-year-old man died after falling into a ditch while clearing snow.

In Hokkaido, a 63-year-old woman was crushed to death by two trucks trying to climb out of the snow; in Akita, a 73-year-old man fell to his death while clearing snow from a roof, according to officials and reports.

Self-Defense Forces helped clear the Niigata Expressway, where hundreds of cars and delivery trucks were stuck in a 12-mile queue, and provided other support. Local volunteers also helped provide food and other essentials to people stranded in vehicles for hours.

Road closures were lifted on Tuesday as weather conditions improved, but another snowstorm is expected to affect the area over the weekend.

More than 10,000 households were still without power Wednesday morning, mostly in Niigata prefecture, and deliveries at convenience stores were delayed due to blocked roads, Japan’s METI said.