Over 9,000 people in Japan cut off due to heavy snowfall

More than 9,000 people remained cut off Monday after heavy snowfall on the weekend, with roads blocked in some mountainous areas of Yamanashi, Saitama and Gunma prefectures as well as western Tokyo. People traveling in vehicles in parts of Yamanashi, Nagano and Gunma prefectures were stranded as some highways were closed, and some Chuo Line train passengers were taken to hotels and other facilities as the trains were stuck in snow in Yamanashi.The number of deaths related to the snow, excluding people involved in traffic accidents, has risen to 19 in eight prefectures, mostly in the Kanto-Koshin region centering on Tokyo, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.