Japan: Heavy snowfall causes over 40-hour-long overnight traffic jam, 1000 cars stuck

Heavy snowfall in Japan caused an overnight traffic jam on Thursday, where more than 1,000 people were left stuck on the highway without food and water. According to CNN, the traffic jam occurred on the Kanetsu Expressway, which connects capital Tokyo to Niigata, after a car got jammed in deep snow, bringing other vehicles behind it to a standstill. 

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Nippon Expressway Company (NEXCO), which operates the highway, told CNN that vehicles started to line up at the peak of the traffic and caused a 15 kilometres long jam. Entrance to the highway had to be shut to avoid further jam as the vehicles that remained stuck spent nearly 40 hours on the road. The jam continued to Friday, with some heavy vehicles started to move slowly, while others remained still due to deep snow.

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'Rescue work starts'

The lanes leading from Tokyo city to Niigata eventually cleared but the opposite lanes heading into the capital remained congested. Japan's Self-Defence forces reportedly provided some relief as they started distributing food and water to people stuck on the highway. Despite, some vehicles moving slowly, more than 1,000 cars were still stuck on the road as of Friday afternoon.  

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According to the report, at least two of the people stuck in the jam had to be taken to the hospital because of respiratory problems. One individual said that after he was done with his food and drinks, he had to melt snow to make drinking water for himself. Niigata's crisis management officer, Tsuyoshi Watanabe told reporters that the country's Self-Defence forces have been asked to provide food, water, gasoline and to arrange for temporary toilets for people still stuck in the jam. 

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