Heavy snow that has blanketed northern Japan for weeks, triggering avalanches and disrupting transport networks, has left at least 56 people dead, officials said Thursday.

 

In one of the country's coldest winters in recent years, 43 people have died as they removed snow from roofs or roads, while seven more were crushed by heavy loads of snow falling from buildings or other structures, the disaster management agency said.

 

Four people have died in avalanches, with the latest snow slide reported in northern Akita prefecture at a popular mountain resort known for therapeutic hot-spring baths, which left three holidaymakers dead.

 

The 130 feet avalanche crushed three tents near a naturally heated rock site Wednesday.

 

Local police and rescuers continued their search Thursday "to confirm there are no others buried in the snow", a police spokeswoman said.

 

The extreme weather, which has filled evening news reports for weeks, has also claimed two other lives, the government agency said.

 

Heavy snow has covered the northernmost island of Hokkaido and much of the north of the main Japanese island of Honshu, particularly affecting the country's western side.

 

In Sukayu, in northern Aomori prefecture, where the temperature went down as low as minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday, 4.29 metres of snow is on the ground.

 

Yamagata and Niigata prefectures have more than three metres of snow, the weather agency said.

 

Atrocious conditions have led to the cancellation of flights and numerous train delays, including to parts of the shinkansen bullet train system.

 

In Aomori, a heavy snowstorm on Wednesday night stranded more than 100 cars on one road, forcing 250 people to seek shelter for the night in local schools, reports said.

 

Copyright 2012  AFP Asian Edition