Over 170 buildings destroyed in Japan blaze

KABUL (Pajhwok): More than 170 buildings were destroyed after a fire swept through a coastal city in southern Japan, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate to emergency shelters, according to a media report on Wednesday.

Reuters, citing Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, reported that around 175 residents of the Saganoseki district in Oita City — located about 770 kilometers (478 miles) southwest of Tokyo — fled to emergency shelters after the blaze erupted at around 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday.

One person remains missing, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation, the report stated. Local media also noted that the flames had spread to nearby forested slopes.

In response, a military firefighting helicopter was deployed at the request of the Oita prefecture governor, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed in a post on X.

kk/sa