Train crash kills four as snowstorms hit Japan

TOKYO, Monday (Reuters) An express train running behind schedule in blustery winter weather derailed in northern Japan, killing four people and injuring 33, police said on Monday, and it was unclear if others remained trapped in the wreckage.

The train left the tracks and crashed into a farm building after apparently encountering high winds near a bridge over a river in Yamagata prefecture late on Sunday.

"It felt as though I was lifted from my seat, and then everything went black," one survivor told state broadcaster NHK.

"The wind was terrible. There was rain at the windows and flashes of lightning," he added.

The six-carriage train was carrying 44 passengers and two crew members, Kyodo news agency said.

Police said it was not clear whether anyone remained trapped under the overturned carriages, and it may not be possible to check until snowstorms in the area abate.

The train, operated by East Japan Railway Co., was travelling to Niigata from Akita.

"After crossing the bridge, a sudden gust of wind carrying snow hit the train from the right and the train leaned to the left," a company official quoted the driver as saying.

The Transport Ministry sent investigators to the scene.

"The government wants to look into the cause of the accident to make sure this does not happen again," Japan's top government spokesman, Shinzo Abe, told reporters on Monday.

The chief executive of East Japan Railway, Mutsutake Otsuka, apologised for the crash at a news conference in Tokyo.

Wide areas of Japan have been hit by the heaviest snowfall on record for December in recent days, disrupting transport and causing several deaths.

An 80-year-old woman died in Gifu prefecture, central Japan, on Monday after being crushed when her house collapsed under the weight of accumulated snow.

Strong winds have also cut power lines, leading to blackouts in some areas. Tokyo has been spared, but Japan's Meteorological Agency warned of more snowstorms across northern Japan on Monday.