Heavy snowfall has killed 30 people in Japan in the past two weeks, including a 91-year-old woman found buried in front of her home, Agence France-Presse reported, citing authorities, BTA reported.
The Japanese government has deployed the military to help residents of the hardest-hit Aomori prefecture, where up to 4.5 meters of snow have accumulated in isolated areas.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held an emergency cabinet meeting today, asking ministers to do everything possible to protect people's lives.
The mass of cold air has led to heavy snowfall in recent weeks along the Sea of Japan coast, with some areas seeing more than twice the amount of snow than usual. The weather has killed 30 people since Jan. 20, according to the Fire and Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Among them was 91-year-old Kina Jin, whose body was found under three meters of snow at her home in Aomori, a local police official said. Police believe she was buried by snow falling from the roof and died of suffocation. A shovel was found next to her body.
Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita said on Tuesday he had asked the military to offer disaster relief and help elderly people clear snow from their homes. Walls of snow more than 180cm high covered the ground in the prefecture's capital, Aomori City, he added, stressing that officials tasked with clearing the snow were overwhelmed.
"There is an imminent danger of potentially deadly accidents, such as snow falling from roofs or buildings collapsing," he stressed at a news conference.