Record-breaking snow blankets Japan, killing at least 30 people 

Record-breaking snowfall in Japan has been blamed for 30 deaths in the past two weeks, including a 91-year-old woman found buried under 300cm (118 inches) of snow outside her home, officials said.

The heavy snowfall prompted the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to order the deployment of troops on Tuesday to help in affected areas, according to the Japanese national television NHK.

Authorities told people to watch for avalanches and accumulated snow falling from rooftops, NHK reported, and also warned that power outages are possible in the hardest-hit areas.

As of Tuesday, the northern city of Aomori had 175cm (about 69 inches) of snow accumulated on the ground, more than double the average for this time of the year, according to NHK. On Monday, the city recorded as much as 183cm (72 inches) of snow accumulating in some areas, breaking the 40-year record of 181cm (71 inches) observed in 1986.

Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita said on Monday he had asked the military to offer disaster relief, especially to the elderly, many of whom live alone and need help clearing snow.

“The danger of life-threatening incidents, such as fatal accidents due to falling snow from the roofs or collapsing buildings, is imminent,” he said in a news conference.

Several other cities also reported snow accumulation of at least 135cm (53 inches), NHK reported.

From January 20 through Tuesday, 30 people have died as a result of the heavy snowfall, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

On Monday, NHK reported at least 12 deaths in the northwestern Niigata prefecture facing the Sea of Japan, six in Akita prefecture in northern Japan, three in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, two in Aomori and one each in four other prefectures.

NHK quoted officials from Niigata as saying that two men removing snow on Sunday were swept away in a waterway for snow disposal. Others appeared to have fallen off roofs or died after suddenly becoming ill at work or during breaks.

A total of 290 people suffered injuries, some serious, due to snow-related incidents, according to NHK.

The meteorological agency said some areas of the country are seeing more than double the usual volumes of snow, as, according to the Kyodo news agency, a cold air mass from the Arctic lingers over the Japanese archipelago.

It is unclear how the heavy snow will affect the parliamentary elections scheduled for Sunday.

On Tuesday, the prime minister held a special cabinet-level meeting to instruct ministers to do all they could to prevent deaths and accidents.