Nearly 10,000 homes in Japan's Kyushu Island without power after snow

Local residents in southwestern Japan have suffered snow while strong winds causing blackouts, local press reported on Friday. A strong low-pressure system passed along the south side of the country's main islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, bringing snow and ice to the areas on Friday. The cold weather has so far cut off power to nearly 10,000 households in cities and towns of the prefectures of Oita and Miyazaki in Kyushu Island, according to the country's public broadcaster Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK). The local power utility, Kyushu Electric Power Co. is now investigating details of the damages for earlier recovery but the bad weather hamper its recovery efforts.