TOKYO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two were killed and train services disrupted as heavy snowfall continued in a wide area along the Sea of Japan coast Saturday.
In the city of Tottori in western Japan, snowfall reached 91 centimeters for the first time in 33 years, said the Japan Meteorological Agency.
In parts of southwestern Japan including the city of Saga, snow was also accumulating.
According to local police, a man in his 40s died after being trapped under a tire of his truck when trying to free the truck from snow early Saturday in Tottori.
Another man, 81-year-old Tetsusaburo Kosawa in Happo, Akita Prefecture, reportedly died after snow crushed his home when he was inside.
Operations of train services were seriously disrupted in some stricken areas, as bullet trains were forced to travel slowly due to the heavy snow, causing delays.
Some 26 passengers were trapped in a train at Aoya Station in Tottori city for some 22 hours due to blocked railway tracks by snow and fallen trees, before the train resumed operations Saturday evening.
The weather agency warned that more snowfall would occur along the Sea of Japan coast over the next 24 hours, especially in northeastern and western Japan.
