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Snow-hit Japan warns of avalanches, landslides
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-01-14 15:28
Japan issued warnings for avalanches, flooding and landslides on Saturday as
weathermen forecast warmer temperatures and rains in mountainous areas hit by
recent record snowfalls that have caused more than 80 deaths.
Eighty-eight people have died in snow-related incidents over the past few
weeks, Kyodo news agency reported.
Up to 8 cm (3.1 inches) of rain was forecast for northeastern Japan, the area
worst-hit by the snow, in the 24 hours up to early Sunday.
"We are worried that rains, coupled with water from melting snow, could
trigger landslides," said an official at the Meteorological Agency.
The agency said temperatures would rise this weekend to well above freezing
in affected areas, some of which had nearly four metres (13 feet) of snow piled
up.
About 80 percent of those who have died were over the age of 60, the Fire
and Disaster Management Agency said, many of them after falling from their roofs
while clearing snow.
In Niigata prefecture northwest of Tokyo on Saturday, a 72-year-old man died
after his two-storey house collapsed under the weight of snow, a police
spokesman said.
A 64-year-old man died in Nagano prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, later on
Saturday after falling off from the snow-covered roof of his storehouse, police
said.
Shortly after returning from a trip to Turkey on Friday, Japanese Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi instructed his government to work out measures to
deal with snow damage.
The government says it will disburse 11.3 billion yen ($99 million) to local
governments in affected areas to help them clear snow from roads.
Government officials fear that prices of products such as kerosene and
vegetables could shoot up due to the bitter cold.
A farm ministry survey carried out between January 4 and January 6 showed
cabbage was 50 percent more expensive than usual and leek prices were up on
average 40 percent.
Much of Japan has had record snowfall in the last month,
but Tokyo has had virtually none this winter.
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