Los Angeles Times
TOKYO--Heavy
snow blanketed the Japanese capital on Saturday, killing two people,
blocking roads and railways and canceling about 400 domestic flights.
The Meteorological
Agency predicted Tokyo would receive about 15-20 cm (six to eight
inches) of snow, with some suburban areas seeing double that amount.
A 66-year-old
woman died in Tokyo when she slipped in the snow and struck her
head against the pavement. A 75-year-old man died in Nagano Prefecture
in central Japan.
At least 60
others were injured in the capital, Tokyo fire officials said,
while national broadcaster NHK said that at least 179 people were
hurt.
"We expect
conditions to worsen tonight," a fire spokesman told Reuters.
At Tokyo's
Haneda airport, thousands of travelers were stranded after most
flights at the domestic hub were canceled. The Tokyo region's
Narita international airport, where snowfall was lighter, reported
no cancellations and few delays.
Police said
the snow caused dozens of minor road accidents.
Railway operators
reported delays lasting several hours, and several highways were
temporarily shut to clear the snow.
The Meteorological
Agency issued heavy snow warnings on Saturday for the capital
and several of its surrounding prefectures.
Tokyo normally
experiences several snowfalls each year but even a light dusting
plays havoc because of the time and equipment necessary to remove
it from one of the most densely packed cities in the world.
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