Police and fire department officials began an on-site investigation on Tuesday into a deadly fire that broke out the previous day in a busy commercial district in Osaka City, western Japan. The fire left two firefighters dead.
The fire involved a 7-story and a 5-story building facing the Dotonbori River in the city’s Minami district.
The two men, aged 55 and 22, along with another firefighter, were reportedly inside one of the buildings. The two are believed to have been trapped when part of the building collapsed.
The fire department says they were checking each floor to see if anyone was still inside. The two were later found unconscious on the sixth floor.
Four other firefighters and a woman were taken to hospitals. But none of their injuries are life-threatening.
On Tuesday, firefighters and members of the public visited the site to lay flowers for the victims. One firefighter said that it was heartbreaking that both a young and a veteran firefighter had lost their lives.
The fire department says an inspection of the two buildings in June 2023 found six violations.
It says automatic fire alarms had not been installed in some locations and evacuation drills, required at least twice a year, had not been conducted.
The department says some of the violations were later confirmed to have been addressed.
Police will continue their on-site investigation on Wednesday.
AloJapan.com