Fire destroys more than 170 buildings in Southern Japan; One person missing
A massive fire tore through more than 170 buildings in a coastal district of southern Japan, forcing residents to flee and continuing to burn into Wednesday morning, Japan’s national fire agency said.
The blaze erupted around 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday in the Saganoseki district of Oita city, located about 770 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. Approximately 175 residents evacuated to an emergency shelter as firefighters struggled overnight to contain the flames, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Authorities confirmed that one person remains missing, while the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Aerial footage broadcast by local media showed the scale of the destruction: rows of homes reduced to rubble, thick smoke blanketing the hilly neighborhood and flames spreading toward forested slopes. The district overlooks a fishing harbor famed for its premium Seki-brand mackerel, a key part of the region’s economy.
Local outlets also reported that the fire had advanced into nearby wooded areas, prompting additional firefighting efforts. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on X that a military firefighting helicopter had been deployed at the request of the Oita prefecture governor to help contain the blaze.
Fire crews remain on site as authorities work to fully extinguish the flames and assess the damage.
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