More than 100 people gather in a temple on a mountaintop in Japan after heavy snowfall cut off the road
Heavy snow falling in Japan forced more than a hundred people to remain in a Japanese temple on a mountaintop after the snow cut off road access.
About 130 people were forced to spend the night in the halls and corridors of the Mitsumine Temple in Saitama Prefecture on Friday after surrounding roads were closed for safety reasons, according to reports from public broadcaster NHK.
Local authorities confirmed that the occupants of about 50 cars stayed in the temple building and said that no one fell ill.
Japan is currently experiencing heavy snowfall, with up to 40 cm expected in some areas on Saturday.
The accumulated amount of snow in some parts of the country has reached up to 80 cm in the last thirty hours, as shown by Japan Meteorological Agency data, with more expected as the cold front continues.
Several incidents around Mitsumine Temple, including trapped cars, led to the road closure, NHK reported, citing local police.
Up to 4 cm of snow is falling in the area, while temperatures are reaching nearly -15°C, creating icy conditions.
Mitsumine Temple is located at an altitude of 1,110 meters (3,640 feet) above sea level in the mountains near Chichibu City. It is a famous center for Shinto worship dedicated to Izanami and Izanagi, the wife and husband deities credited with creating the islands of Japan.
Mitsumine Temple is said to have been founded in the first century by Prince Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, the son of Emperor Keiko.
United News Network – UNN Arabic
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