Japanese father dies sheltering daughter from blizzard
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Stranded vehicles are buried under snow along a road in Nakashibetsu, Hokkaido, northern Japan on Sunday, March 3, 2013. A father froze to death while sheltering his nine-year-old daughter from severe weekend blizzards that swept northern Japan, two years after her mother died, reports said on Monday. -- PHOTO: AP
TOKYO (AFP) - A father froze to death while sheltering his nine-year-old daughter from severe weekend blizzards that swept northern Japan, two years after her mother died, reports said on Monday.
Mr Mikio Okada died as he tried to protect his only child Natsune against winds of up to 109km per hour, as temperatures plunged to minus 6 deg C.
Mr Okada was one of at least nine people killed in a spate of snow-related incidents as blizzards swept across Hokkaido island, police said on Monday.
His body was uncovered by rescuers looking for the pair after relatives raised the alarm. Natsune was wearing her father's jacket and was wrapped in his arms, newspapers and broadcasters said.
