Snow storm claims 11 lives in Japan

Up to 11 people are now reported to have died in a winter snow storm gripping much of Japan, as forecasters on Friday warned bad weather would continue.

Northern and central parts of Japan have been lashed by strong winds that have dumped huge quantities of snow over the last few days, disrupting travel and cutting off isolated communities.

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said 11 people were known to have died, including two people - a 79-year-old man and a fire fighter, 29 -who fell into ditches while clearing snow.

Several other, mainly elderly people have been killed on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido and in regions near the Sea of Japan in mainland Honshu, reports and officials have said.

There have also been deaths on the roads, with hazardous driving conditions causing hundreds of accidents that have left dozens injured nationwide.

Public transport networks have also been hit, with several hundred flights grounded, most of them domestic, and bullet trains suffering delays.