Heavy snow has swept across areas along the Sea of Japan coast, with some regions expected to see snow depths surpassing 80 centimeters.
In Uonuma City of Niigata Prefecture, which is about four-hour drive from Japan's capital city Tokyo, snow depths have reached 20 centimeters on vehicles and rooftops on Thursday. In some areas that have yet to be cleared, the snow has piled up to the height of a single-story building, with snow depths 1.5 times that of this time in previous years.
The local weather agency said that by Friday morning, the estimated 24-hour snowfall is expected to be up to 80 centimeters in some parts of Niigata Prefecture.
In addition to Niigata Prefecture, the snow brought by the cold wave has affected a vast area, stretching from Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido to the Shikoku region in western Japan.
Due to the heavy snow, rail transportation in some areas has been delayed or even canceled. Latest information shows that certain sections of highways in Niigata and Fukushima prefectures are closed all day Thursday.
Japan's weather agency said the heavy snow will continue till Friday in areas along the Sea of Japan coast.
Heavy snow hits regions along Sea of Japan coast
Relief efforts are continuing following Tuesday's deadly earthquake in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, with prefabricated houses being set up at resettlement sites to shelter displaced residents while more specialist rescue and medical teams continue to arrive at the affected areas.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County of Xigaze on Tuesday morning, with at least 126 people confirmed to have lost their lives and 188 others injured, while over 3,600 homes have collapsed.
In the badly-hit Gurong Village of Dingri, the first batch of 34 prefabricated houses have been delivered to a resettlement site, with these temporary buildings being erected to house affected residents.
The situation has been complicated by large temperature fluctuations, with overnight temperatures in some areas reportedly falling as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius, while ongoing tremors are also being experienced in the region, with over 1,000 aftershocks being felt in the wake of Tuesday's quake.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Emergency Management has mobilized rescue teams to support the disaster-stricken areas. Currently, six teams from some state-owned enterprises, comprising 629 personnel and 241 machines, are engaging in rescue operations in the affected areas.
In addition, a national tunneling rescue team of 21 members and the first batch of five specialist personnel from an emergency medical rescue team have also arrived to provide assistance to injured victims in the disaster area.
The ministry also deployed a Wing Loong-2 large unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on Wednesday to ensure communication and carry out disaster reconnaissance.
Furthermore, two Mi-171 transport helicopters have also been dispatched to Xigaze's Lhatse County to support the ongoing rescue efforts.
Temporary housing set up in quake-hit Xizang as relief work continues
