Death toll from heavy Japan snow hits 30

A major weather system has dumped huge volumes of snow along the Sea of Japan coast in recent weeks, with some central and northern areas of the main Honshu island seeing more than twice the usual amounts.

The central government has deployed troops to help local authorities cope and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hosted a special cabinet meeting on Tuesday to instruct her ministers to do all they could to prevent further deaths.

Television images showed residents having to walk through trenches dug into the heavy snow, while drivers struggled to avoid their vehicles getting stuck.

Many local schools were closed and public transport services had been suspended in some areas.

Authorities must prioritize snow removal, a resident of Aomori city, the regional capital, told local broadcaster RAB on Tuesday after he helped to extract a stuck van.

"They must block traffic from the morning and clear snow. Otherwise, there is no solution to this," the unnamed man told RAB.

Authorities were deploying trucks and heavy machinery to attempt to shift the snow, but had not been able to keep up with the unending precipitation, officials said.

Walls of snow as high as 1.8 meters in Aomori city prevented even government officials from reporting to work, regional governor Soichiro Miyashita told a press conference.

"The snow is so heavy around the regional government building that even our staff cannot convene, even if we were to call emergency meetings," he said.

Since Jan. 20 through Tuesday, 30 people have died as a result of the snow, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Among them was Kina Jin, 91, whose body was found under snow at her home in Ajigasawa, Aomori, a local police official told AFP on a condition of anonymity.

Police believe snow from her rooftop fell on her. The cause of her death was suffocation, the official said.

"As it gets warmer, the accumulated snow melts and falls. It depends on the volume (of snow) and the temperature. Under the rooftop is a dangerous place," the official told AFP.

A local elderly woman thanked troops Monday after they cleared snow from her home in Aomori city.

"If they hadn't come, my house would have collapsed either today or tomorrow," she told local broadcaster ATV.