Tokyo: Unusually heavy snow in Japan has been blamed for 30 deaths in the past two weeks, officials said, as the government deployed troops to help clear huge drifts that left residents in the country's north struggling to leave home, according to the Straits Times.

According to Philippines News Agency, the authorities recorded up to 4.5 meters of snowfall in parts of the worst-hit northern region of Aomori, where many of the deaths occurred, including that of a 91-year-old woman whose body was found beneath a 3-meter pile of snow outside her house.

A powerful cold air mass has led to heavy snow along the Sea of Japan coast in recent weeks, with some central and northern areas of the main Honshu island experiencing more than double the usual volumes.

The central government has deployed troops to assist local authorities, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a special Cabinet-level meeting to instruct ministers to do all they can to prevent further deaths and accidents.

Television images showed residents having to walk through trenches dug into the heavy snow, while drivers struggled to avoid their vehicles getting stuck. Many local schools were closed, and public transport services had been suspended in some areas.

The authorities must prioritize snow removal, a resident of Aomori city, the regional capital, told local broadcaster RAB after he helped to extract a stuck van.