Snowstorm forces 1,000 drivers in Japan to sleep in cars

Authorities are trying to dig out cars from the heavy snow cover with machines and physical labour

Vehicles are stranded on the snow-covered Kanetsu expressway in Minamiuonuma in Niigata Prefecture, Japan  (REUTERS)

Over 1,000 vehicles have been stranded on an expressway for over two days as a heavy snow storm wreaked havoc in northwest Japan.

Self-defence force troops have been distributing food, petrol and blankets as hundreds of drivers were forced to spend the night in the car while the Kanetsu expressway, which connects the capital Tokyo to Niigata, in the north was completely jammed after record snowfall.

The fire service crews rescued some drivers, including at least three people who were taken to hospital, according to public broadcaster NHK. But till Friday noon local time, over 1,000 cars remain stuck on the highway.

"The government will do its utmost to rescue anyone who is stuck in their vehicle," the government's top spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, said at a regular briefing.

Officials are attempting to dig out the cars one by one stuck in heavy snow cover using heavy machinery and physical labour. More than ten thousand households also faced complete blackout on Thursday and multiple road and train services have been disrupted since Wednesday. 

According to Kyodo News, the biggest jam on the Kanetsu expressway began when a trailer got stuck in the snow on Wednesday night. The gridlock now stretches up to 16.5 kilometres, according to police and highway operator quoted by Kyoto News.

"We are trying our best to rescue drivers and passengers, we are ready to continue the operation through the night," a Niigata disaster management official told AFP on Thursday night.

The snowfall is expected to continue to fall heavily through Friday in the already affected north-western regions along the sea of Japan, according to the country’s meteorological agency.

Some places are bracing for as much as 80 cm (32 inches) of snow amid a cold snap that has affected much of the country.