TOKYO, Nov 19 — A fire has ripped through more than 170 buildings in a southern Japanese coastal city, burning overnight and still not entirely extinguished, the national fire agency said today.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said that around 175 residents of the Saganoseki district of Oita city, some 770km southwest of Tokyo, fled to an emergency shelter after the blaze broke out at approximately 5.40pm local time (0840 GMT) yesterday.
One person was still missing while the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Aerial footage from local broadcasters showed houses reduced to rubble and thick plumes of smoke rising from the hilly town, which overlooks a fishing harbour renowned for its premium Seki-brand mackerel.
Local media reported the flames had also spread to nearby forested slopes.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that a military firefighting helicopter was dispatched at the request of the Oita prefecture governor.
