Firefighters and army helicopters yesterday battled a fire that burned through a neighborhood of old wooden houses in a fishing town in southwestern Japan, killing one person, injuring another and forcing more than 170 people to evacuate in the country’s largest urban blaze in almost half a century.
Aerial footage from broadcasters showed houses reduced to rubble and thick plumes of smoke rising from the hilly Saganoseki district of Oita City, which overlooks a fishing harbor renowned for its premium Seki-brand mackerel on the main island of Kyushu.
A man in his 70s was unaccounted for and firefighters later found a body, possibly of the missing man, and a woman in her 50s sustained a minor injury, the Oita Prefecture disaster response team said.
Photo: Kyodo News via AP
Dozens of fire engines and more than 200 firefighters were mobilized to battle the fire, which was not still fully under control more than a day after it started.
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force dispatched two UH-1 army helicopters to assist.
It might take a few more days before the fire is completely extinguished, Oita Mayor Shinya Adachi told reporters after he visited the devastated neighborhood.
Photo: Takumi Sato, Kyodo News via AP
At least 170 homes have been damaged or burned down, the disaster response team said.
The fire started during strong winds on Tuesday evening, with the blaze spreading to a forest, affecting about 4.9 hectares, the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) said.
There was an advisory for strong wind when the fire broke out.
A firefighter told the Kyodo news agency that firefighting operation was hampered by narrow backstreets where fire engines could not enter.
There were also abandoned homes in the rapidly aging and shrinking neighborhood, Kyodo said.
The fires spread quickly as a strong wind was “blowing in all directions,” a 59-year-old office worker told Kyodo.
Authorities are still investigating the fire’s cause and how it spread, the FDMA said.
About 260 homes remained without electricity yesterday afternoon, Oita Prefecture said.
A resident told Kyodo that she quickly fled without many of her belongings, because the fire “spread in the blink of an eye.”
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to all residents who are evacuating in the cold,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wrote on X.
“The government will provide the maximum possible support in collaboration with local authorities,” she wrote.
The number of buildings and size of the area engulfed in flames made it the largest urban fire in Japan since a 1976 blaze in Sakata, excluding incidents caused by earthquakes.
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
‘TROUBLEMAKER’: Most countries believe that it is China — rather than Taiwan — that is undermining regional peace and stability with its coercive tactics, the president said China should restrain itself and refrain from being a troublemaker that sabotages peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks after China Coast Guard vessels sailed into disputed waters off the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) in Taiwan — following a remark Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made regarding Taiwan. Takaichi during a parliamentary session on Nov. 7 said that a “Taiwan contingency” involving a Chinese naval blockade could qualify as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, and trigger Tokyo’s deployment of its military for defense. Asked about the escalating tensions
RSS