Record levels of snowfall in Japan leave 17 dead and 90 people injured, report says

• Heavy snowfall across Japan has killed at least 17 people over the last 10 days, AP reported.
• Some parts of the country are reporting three times their average snowfall for the season.

Record levels of snowfall in Japan have left at least 17 dead and 90 people injured according to disaster management officials, the Associated Press reported.

Much of the country's northern and western regions have seen persistent heavy snow in recent days, stranding hundreds of vehicles on highways, delaying delivery and public transport services, and leaving thousands of homes without power, the outlet reported.

The scope of the winter storm has been unprecedented, with some parts of northeastern Japan reporting three times their average snowfall for the season.

The Associated Press reported that officials said Monday that 17 people have died, some of whom had fallen while removing snow from the roofs. The officials urged residents not to remove snow from vehicles and roofs on their own due to safety concerns, the outlet reported.

One elderly woman in Nagai City — an area located around 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of Tokyo — was found dead buried underneath a pile of snow that suddenly fell on her from her roof, AP reported. Snow in the area had piled up to higher than 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) over the weekend.

Heavy snow also knocked down an electric power transmission tower in Japan's northern region, leaving about 20,000 homes without power on Christmas morning, the outlet reported. Electricity has since been restored and the heavy snowfall is expected to ease from Monday.

Japan is not the only country struggling with snowfall this winter.

At least 38 deaths have now been linked to severe snow storms battering the US and Canada in recent days, the BBC reported Monday.

The storms have also heavily disrupted travel over the holiday weekend and left thousands of people without electricity.

Officials have urged people to stay home, calling the storms a "very dangerous life-threatening situation," the BBC reported.