50 people have died in the cold snap Content origin: China Daily website [February 1, 2012, 15:43] Recently, heavy to severe snowfall has occurred in various regions across Japan. In some areas, the snow accumulation has exceeded 2 meters, even leading to snow disasters, as per weather forecasts from Wenshan. According to Japanese media reports, over the next week, cold air will continue to move south in Japan's eastern and northern regions. The heavy snow along the Sea of Japan coast will persist, with snow accumulation in some areas potentially exceeding 5 meters. The Japanese Meteorological Agency has issued a heavy snow warning. According to NHK on January 31, the Japanese Meteorological Agency announced that over the next week, there will still be significant cold air activity in Japan's northern and eastern regions. Affected by this, continuous heavy snow weather will occur in the Hokuriku region and along the Sea of Japan coast. Additionally, according to Kyodo News on January 31, a survey conducted by Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency revealed that from November 1, 2011, to January 30, 2012, snow-related accidents in nine prefectures across Japan have resulted in 50 deaths, with 34 individuals (nearly 70%) being elderly people aged 65 or older. Most of the deaths were caused by accidents during snow removal, such as falling from roofs. The report stated that given the continued heavy snow expected on the Sea of Japan side, the Japanese government urged people not to perform snow removal alone to prevent accidents and recommended wearing safety helmets during the process. According to investigations by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency into the causes of death, 42 people died due to accidents during snow removal, 6 people were killed by falling snow, and 1 person each died due to avalanches and other reasons. Divided by prefecture, Niigata had the most fatalities with 12 people; followed by Hokkaido with 10 people, and Aomori with 9 people. There were a total of 333 severely injured individuals across 13 prefectures and 402 lightly injured individuals across 18 prefectures. There were also instances of partial residential damage or water infiltration into rooms due to blocked drains from accumulated snow. On January 31, the Japanese government held an inter-agency coordination meeting related to heavy snow countermeasures. Disaster management minister Tatsuo Hirano pointed out: "Some mountain villages face serious aging issues, and we hope all relevant departments carefully study the problems caused by heavy snow." (Qianjiang Evening News)