Snow in Niigata traps hundreds of vehicles in traffic jams

Niigata, Dec 20 (NHK) - Hundreds of vehicles were trapped on a major highway running through the city of Kashiwazaki in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast early Tuesday, as heavy snow fell in the area.

The snow caused traffic jams over a stretch of about 20 kilometers on Route 8 as of 4 a.m. on Tuesday.

Officials said roughly 800 vehicles were stuck in the area as of 1 a.m. but that the number fell to about 300 as work to remove the snow progressed.

Relief teams were distributing food, water and other supplies to drivers on the road.

Vehicles were also caught in traffic jams over a stretch of up to 20 kilometers in the nearby city of Nagaoka. ...continue reading

Dec 20 (ANNnewsCH) - 大雪の影響で新潟県柏崎市の国道では20日午前4時現在、約314台の車が立ち往生していて、22キロの区間が通行止めになっています。  ...continue reading