Gridlock from Heavy Snow Grows in Central Japan

February 8, 2018

Fukui- The gridlock of vehicles in heavy snow grew on Wednesday on National Route 8 in Ishikawa and Fukui prefectures, both in the Hokuriku region of central Japan.

As of Tuesday, the gridlock was seen on the section between the Ishikawa city of Kaga and the neighboring Fukui city of Awara, and the section between Awara and the adjacent city of Sakai. On Wednesday, it extended to the city of Fukui, the Fukui Prefecture capital, which neighbors Sakai.

Staff members of the transport ministry's national road office in Fukui Prefecture and Ground Self-Defense Force troops worked to remove snow.

The number of stalled vehicles decreased in Ishikawa later.

"We expect the gridlock to be resolved within Thursday," an official of the national road office said.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday (8 a.m. GMT), some 690 vehicles were stalled on the 16-kilometer section between the Kumasaka district in Awara and the Shinbo district in the city of Fukui, according to the GSDF. Including the section through the Wada district in Fukui, a total of about 1,100 vehicles were stalled, officials of the national road office said.

Some 1,300 GSDF troops worked on snow clearance and refueled stalled vehicles. On Wednesday night, a 20-member GSDF team, including a medical officer, visited stalled vehicles to confirm the health of stranded people.

On Wednesday, no one had been taken to hospital as of 9:30 p.m., according to the Fukui prefectural government. On Tuesday evening, two men--one in his 30s and the other in his 40s--were transported to hospital.

The prefectural government has set up an aid station in Sakai. A total of 15 people visited the facility on Tuesday and Wednesday. None of them was found to have major health problems.

Following the growth of the gridlocked area, the Fukui government set up another aid station, at a fire station in the city of Fukui. Jiji Press