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More than 1,000 people in Japan were forced to spend the night in their cars on Thursday after record snowfall covered parts of the country.
The first drivers traveling on a highway connecting Tokyo with Niigata on the coast of the Sea of Japan found their route blocked Wednesday night, according to media reports.
The number of trapped cars grew rapidly Thursday as large amounts of snow fell in central and northern Japan. At one point, the vehicle line stretched for 10 miles (16.5 km).
Members of the self-defense groups were summoned to provide food, blankets and fuel to motorists who were forced to spend the night in their cars.
Japan’s weather agency said heavy snow will continue to fall through Friday in the region and warned drivers to be vigilant for frozen roads and avalanches.
Heavy snowfalls in central Japan and along the north coast also cut power to some 10,000 homes, prompting the government to call an emergency meeting.
The heaviest snowfall was centered in Niigata and Gunma prefectures, which had about 2 meters (6.6 feet) of snow for three days, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Some of the affected drivers complained that they had been left in the dark about efforts to end the gridlock.
“He hardly slept and was worried because he had absolutely no information about the situation,” a man who was driving to Tokyo from his home near Niigata told the Kyodo news agency.
Yoshinobu Wakiya, who was driving to Tokyo, said he had been trapped inside his car for 17 hours.
“I never expect so much snow to fall so fast,” he told the Asahi Shimbun. “This is a life and death situation.”
Wakiya said she hadn’t been able to sleep because she had to keep shoveling snow from the tailpipe to prevent life-threatening gases from getting into her car.
“I haven’t eaten since last night and I don’t have much water left,” he told the newspaper. “I have no information about what is going to happen. I’m tired. I want to lie down and rest on a futon soon. “
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