16 dead after snowstorm hits eastern Japan

HINOHARA, Japan, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A snowstorm that hit Japan's eastern Kanto-Koshin region left 16 people dead, households snowed-in and parts of the area inaccessible, officials said.

Authorities were working to clear roads of snow, but progress has been slow due to much of the region being affected by the snowfall, Jiji Press reported. A number of vehicles were left stranded on roads in some areas.

About one-third of the 1,196 households in the village of Hinohara were snowed-in as of Monday, officials said. More than 700 elderly people were left isolated, the village office said.