Japan snowstorm dumps feet of snow, kills 11; hundreds of flights canceled

© Instagram/@marn_9

In the village of Hinoemata in western Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, more than 30 inches of snow covers the ground following a large storm, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014

A massive storm system dropped feet of snow on parts of Japan this week, leading to travel problems and at least 11 deaths.

"As of late Thursday night, local time, Tsunan, Japan reported a snow depth of 81.5 inches (207 centimeters)," said weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman. "Seven other locations in western Honshu reported at least 150 centimeters (about 59 inches) of snow depth, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency."

Eleven people have been confirmed dead in the storm. NHK said one Hokkaido death occurred when a car skidded into a utility pole, and the other was a 74-year-old woman who was trapped under a warehouse roof that collapsed under the weight of the snow. The fatality in Hiroshima occurred when a driver got out of his car and was hit by another vehicle, NHK said.

News Australia reported an elderly woman was killed when she was hit by a snow plow in Hokkaido, and a 68-year-old man died when he fell off the roof of his home in Niigata while removing snow. In Shikaoi, Hokkaido, a 58-year-old man died from a heart attack while driving home and was found in his car in a snowdrift, The Japan Times reported.

Five more people were confirmed dead by FNN News, bringing the total number of fatalities across the country to 11. About 280 people near the border of Niigata and Nagano prefectures were cut off by a landslide on Thursday, according to a separate FNN report.

The storm also trapped three men on Mount Shiraga on the island of Shikoku in western Japan, according to NHK. The report said the men became stuck on the mountain because of heavy snowfall, and a rescue was planned for Thursday morning.

Want something else to read? How about 'Grievous Censorship' By The Guardian: Israel, Gaza And The Termination Of Nafeez Ahmed's Blog