At least one person died and more than 170 buildings were consumed by a huge fire that started on Tuesday night (18) in a residential area in southwestern Japan, where firefighters continued extinguishing work this Wednesday (19).
Japanese police said they found a body in the area of the fire that started in Oita Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, according to the Japanese news agency. Kyodo. Authorities are trying to determine if the body is that of a 76-year-old man from the area who went missing during the fire.
The Oita fire department received an emergency call at around 5:45 pm (local time) on Tuesday from a resident of Saganoseki District, warning of a house fire.
The fire has already burned around 48,900 square meters and affected more than 170 buildings, including houses, and forced the evacuation of up to 180 people to a community center on Tuesday night, according to Japanese television. NHK.
Firefighters continued to fight the flames this Wednesday and, although as of early afternoon today the fire had not yet been fully controlled or declared extinguished, local authorities indicated that the fire is not expected to cause any more damage than that already confirmed.
“The smoke is clearing and (we are moving) toward controlling the situation,” said Shogo Fujikawa, an official with the Oita prefectural government.
Authorities in Oita Prefecture, where the affected city is located, created a special working group to analyze the evolution of the situation and next steps, and requested the help of the Self-Defense Forces to control the situation.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the creation of a liaison office to collect information about what happened and conveyed her government’s condolences to those affected.
“The government will collaborate with local authorities to provide the greatest support possible”, wrote the president in a message on her profile on the social network X. The cause of the urban fire, considered the biggest in decades, is still unknown.
