Hundreds of vehicles are still trapped in snow on roads in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan.

The land ministry said traffic jams continued on Route 8 and Route 17 in the city as of 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The ministry said Ground Self-Defense Force personnel began removing snow on 20-kilometer and 15-kilometer stretches of the routes on Tuesday afternoon.

Prefectural officials are delivering supplies to the vehicles. They also plan to send medical staff in case drivers fall ill.

Meanwhile, in Kashiwazaki City in the prefecture, a traffic jam was cleared after Ground Self-Defense Force personnel removed snow.

Police in Kashiwazaki say a woman in her 20s was found dead in her car, which was buried in snow with the engine running. They suspect she may have suffered carbon monoxide poisoning while trying to warm herself.