27 feared dead in Osaka building fire

JAPAN: 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 that a fire started on the fourth floor of the 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 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. – KYODO