TOKYO: At least 109 people have been injured and taken to hospital in Tokyo Tuesday morning after many slipped and fell due to heavy snowfall in eastern Japan, local media reported.
The injured, transported to hospital by 10 am local time, were aged between four and 92, and none were in life-threatening condition, Xinhua quoted a Kyodo News report, citing the Tokyo Fire Department.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) lifted heavy snow warnings for all of Tokyo’s 23 wards as well as its Tama region shortly after midnight on Tuesday, but snowfall and rain continued in some areas through the morning.
Weather officials said snow has passed its peak, but urged caution against traffic disruptions caused by snow and icy roads.
All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines cancelled a total of 31 flights mainly to and from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday, the report said.
About 1,700 passengers on six limited express trains on the Chuo Line were forced to stay overnight on carriages at six stations in Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures after operations were suspended due to fallen trees caused by snow, according to the East Japan Railway Company.
Through Monday evening, Maebashi in Gunma prefecture logged the highest amount of snowfall at 11 centimetres, while central Tokyo and the city of Saitama recorded eight centimetres each, according to the JMA. –Bernama-Xinhua
