ID :
276788
Mon, 03/04/2013 - 03:28
Auther :

8 People Die in Northern Japan Snowstorms

Sapporo, March 3 (Jiji Press)--At least eight people have died due to snow-related incidents in Hokkaido over the weekend as severe snowstorms hit the northern Japan prefecture, police said. Most of the incidents occurred after the victims' cars were left stranded by snow, according to the Hokkaido prefectural police department. A 40-year-old woman and her three children, aged 17, 14 and 11, were confirmed dead at a hospital Saturday night after they were found in a snow-covered car in Nakashibetsu, eastern Hokkaido. They died of carbon monoxide poisoning as their car's exhaust pipe was blocked by snow, according to the police department. Their car was buried as they were on their way home. There were snowfalls of about 2 meters around the car, according to rescuers, adding that the visibility was only several centimeters due to a blizzard. Also in Nakashibetsu, a 23-year-old woman was confirmed dead at a hospital Sunday morning after she was found lying in farmland about 300 meters away from her car Saturday. She was on her way home from work and her car was found about 500 meters from her home. A heavy snow warning was issued for the town Saturday afternoon, according to a local meteorological observatory. The snowstorms were caused by a strong low pressure system. Strong wind gusts of up to 35 meters per second were recorded in the prefecture over the weekend. In Yubetsu, northeastern Hokkaido, a 53-year-old man was confirmed dead after he and his 9-year-old daughter were found lying about 300 meters away from their car Sunday morning. The daughter was rescued alive. The two had been missing since leaving home Saturday afternoon. The father was found to have covered the daughter's body with his own apparently in order to protect her from the cold weather. END

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