Snowstorm hits Japan, trapping over 1,000 cars on one highway

by SpeedLux
cars in snow in Minamiuonuma, Niigata, Japan

It started with a large vehicle that got stuck in the deepening snow in Japan.

A minor incident grew into a monster snow-covered traffic jam as over 1,000 cars became stranded on a highway that runs between Tokyo and the city of Niigata along the Sea of Japan coast.

The snarl started Wednesday night, local news sources reported.

“The snow was extremely heavy,” one driver informed the public broadcaster NHK. “As time went by, the cars got buried. I was really scared. I’ve eaten all of my food and drinks. Now, to drink water, I have to melt snow I gather in a plastic bottle.”

Heavy snowfall these days, especially in the Niigata and Gunma prefectures, blanketed some areas with over 6 feet of snow. NHK reported that these prefectures have seen seven times more snow compared to what they typically do at this point at this time of year.

The line of cars at one point stretched over 10 miles, officials informed the news agency.

For a time, traffic was stopped in both directions. Lanes bound for Niigata had been cleared by Friday morning, while about 260 vehicles on the Tokyo-bound lanes were still stuck as of 7 p.m. local time Friday.

The East Nippon Expressway said it could be Saturday before all the cars would be cleared.

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces distributed food, water, blankets, and fuel to those stranded in their vehicles, and worked with shovels to budge the vehicles.

The snow has knocked out power to over 10,000 households.

More heavy snow is forecast for the weekend.

You may also like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

SpeedLux

SpeedLux is a high-authority automotive blog providing the latest automotive news and reviews. SpeedLux covers everything related to cars, bikes, and motorcycles, from news and reviews, to troubleshooting guides, tips and tricks, and more. SpeedLux was born in 2009 and we have over 20,000 articles published on our blog. We thank all our readers, as well as our partners, without whom we could not have reached this level.

Subscribe

©2009 – 2024 SpeedLux – Daily Automotive News and Reviews. All Right Reserved.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More