On Monday, a fire broke out in a private room at a sauna facility in the Akasaka district of Tokyo’s Minato ward, killing two people. A married couple, identified as Masaya Matsuda, 36, and Yoko Matsuda, 37, were found unconscious lying on top of each other near the entrance of the room. They were rushed to the hospital where their deaths were confirmed.
Couple Likely Trapped Inside Room After Doorknob Falls Off
The couple reportedly reserved the room for two hours from 11 a.m. At approximately 12:25 p.m, police received a report that an emergency bell had gone off at the facility. Towels were on fire and a bench inside the room was burned. According to investigators, the inside and outside handles of the room’s wooden doorknob had come off and fallen to the floor.
The Metropolitan Police Department suspect the pair were trapped inside the room due to the broken door handle. Officers began investigating the scene at the facility, called Saunatiger, at around 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Autopsies will be conducted on the two bodies to determine the exact cause of death.
The facility’s website states that it has several private rooms equipped with sauna units and baths. They are located on the second to fourth floors of the building. The fire broke out in a room on the third floor. Panzetta Girolamo, a popular Italian celebrity living and working in Japan, is listed as the facility’s general manager.
Facility Suspends Operations for the Time Being
The operator of the sauna said in a statement that the facility will be suspending operations for the time being. “We take this incident very seriously and offer our deepest apologies for the loss of a precious life,” it said. “We will work with relevant authorities to investigate the cause and do our utmost to prevent a recurrence.”
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AloJapan.com