Tokyo, 17 December, /AJMEDIA/
Twenty-seven people are feared dead after a fire broke out in a building in Osaka on Friday, firefighters said, with an investigative source indicating police suspect an arsonist is responsible.
The local fire department received a report around 10:20 a.m. that a fire started on the fourth floor of eight-story multi-tenant building located near JR Osaka Station. A total of 28 people were injured including the 27 showing no vital signs.
The fire was nearly extinguished by around 10:45 a.m. after burning across an area of approximately 20 square meters, the department said.
The fire apparently started within a medical clinic on the fourth floor. The website of the clinic says it provides psychosomatic and psychiatric treatments.
“When I looked outside (from my nearby office), I saw an orange flame in the window on the fourth floor of the building,” a witness said.
“A woman was waving her hand from the window on the sixth floor and seeking help.”
Another witness working at a nearby restaurant said, “I saw smoke coming out of the building and there were a lot of fire trucks and ambulances. People were being rescued by a fire truck with a ladder. At one point, there was a power outage in the surrounding area.”
The incident occurred in Osaka’s Kitashinchi district where a number of high-end bars and nightclubs are located.