Record snow claims 63 lives, many aged

TOKYO - Troops and volunteers in Japan shovelled snow from roads and roofs yesterday as the death toll from the country's heaviest snowfall on record rose to more than 60.

Teams of troops tried to clear snow that had piled up to more than 3m in some of the worst-hit areas of Niigata prefecture and to reopen blocked roads in Nagano prefecture. Both areas are northwest of Tokyo.

At least 63 people have died and over 1000 been injured since the unusually heavy snowfall began last month, Kyodo news agency said, citing a survey of local governments.

Many of the dead were elderly people who fell from roofs while trying to clear snow, while others were crushed when their houses collapsed under the weight of the drifts.

- REUTERS