Heavy snowfall continued in a wide area along the Sea of Japan coast on Saturday, leading to the death of a truck driver and stranding a train and some 250 motor vehicles in Tottori Prefecture, authorities said….
Heavy snowfall continued in a wide area along the Sea of Japan coast on Saturday, leading to the death of a truck driver and stranding a train and some 250 motor vehicles in Tottori Prefecture, authorities said. A cold front swept the Japanese archipelago with the weather agency forecasting continued heavy snow on Sunday, especially in areas along the coast in northeastern and western Japan. Authorities warned people to be wary of black ice on roads and snow accumulations falling from electric wires and trees. In the city of Tottori, snowfall reached 91cm, topping 90cm for the first time in 33 years, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The unusual snowfall seriously disrupted operations of the Sanin Line of West Japan Railway, forcing 26 passengers to sleep in a train overnight at Aoya Station in the city as it was unable to move because snow and trees fell onto the tracks between Tottori and Yonago stations. Train operations resumed around 6:30pm, ending a suspension that lasted for some 22 hours since Friday evening, according to the operator widely called JR West.
