Explosion Occurs at Nippon Steel Plant in Muroran, Hokkaido; No Injuries Reported

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The Yomiuri Shimbun
Nippon Steel Corp.’s plant is seen in Muroran, Hokkaido, on Monday.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:35 JST, December 1, 2025

MURORAN, Hokkaido — An explosion occurred at Nippon Steel Corp.’s plant in Muroran, Hokkaido, around 1:10 a.m. on Monday.

A nearby resident made an emergency call, saying, “It felt like our house was shaking. It seems like a fire broke out inside the facility.”

According to the city fire department, the explosion and subsequent fire occurred on a hot stove that supplies high-temperature air to a blast furnace. The fire was brought under control approximately seven hours later. There were no injuries.

The blast furnace on site has been shut down. There is no risk of harmful substance leakage. Authorities, including the Hokkaido Prefectural Police, are investigating the cause of the explosion.