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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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