Photo/Illutration Pedestrians walk amid blizzard conditions in Sapporo’s Chuo Ward on Feb. 21. (Kengo Hiyoshi)

A crippling snowstorm buried many parts of the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions on Feb. 21, paralyzing the local transportation system and causing a multiple vehicle pile-up on a major expressway.

Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido) announced that it would suspend train services the entire day in the Sapporo area.

As of 10:50 a.m. on Feb. 21, 971 trains, including all local limited trains, were out of service.

Tohoku Shinkansen suspended services after a wind meter set up at Shin-Aomori Station reached the maximum level for safe operations soon after 8:30 a.m. 

The Hokkaido Shinkansen and Yamagata Shinkansen have been delayed for more than 30 minutes.

Japan Airlines Co. canceled 68 flights, many of them departing and arriving at Shin-Chitose Airport, as of 6 a.m.

All Nippon Airways Co. canceled 73 flights as of 9:30 a.m.

Around 7:20 a.m. on Feb. 21, callers reported an accident involving more than 20 vehicles on an inbound lane of the Hakodate-Esashi Expressway in Hokkaido.

Five people suffered either severe or mild injuries and were transported to hospitals.

Firefighting officials said the visibility was low in the area at the time due to the heavy snow and strong winds.

The accident has clogged traffic on the expressway, with more than 100 vehicles stuck on the road, officials said.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a low pressure area will continue to develop and move to the east of Hokkaido. Gusts of up to 126 kph are expected in Hokkaido and Tohoku, while up to 70 cm of snowfall is expected in the Hokuriku region during the 24-hour period until 6 a.m. on Feb. 22.

On the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido and in the Kanto-Koshin region, 50 cm of snowfall is forecast, the agency said.

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