Nakagawa plastics factory fire continues overnight; all 46 employees evacuated
In short
A fire at a plastics factory in Nakagawa, Tochigi prefecture, continued into the night on October 12, with no injuries reported. All 46 employees evacuated, and 38 firefighting vehicles were deployed without a clear prospect of extinguishing the blaze.
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A fire at a plastics factory in Nakagawa, Tochigi prefecture, continued into the night on October 12 after all 46 employees evacuated safely, according to police cited by Sankei Shimbun. Asahi Shimbun reported that firefighting was still continuing at 22:00, about 17 hours after the emergency call. A total of 38 firefighting vehicles were involved, with no clear prospect of bringing the blaze under control or extinguishing it. [ 3 , 9 ]
The fire occurred at the Ogawa No. 2 factory of Yoshino Kogyosho (吉野工業所). An emergency call at about 05:10 reported smoke coming from a warehouse. According to Asahi Shimbun, a security guard called after an alarm sounded and employees checking it discovered the smoke. Police said the fire appeared to have started near a warehouse storing plastic products and materials. [ 3 , 9 ]
Local fire officials told Asahi Shimbun that a warehouse storing resin products burned and flames spread to part of a factory building on the premises. They said firefighting would continue through the night. TBS NEWS DIG's late-night report also described 38 vehicles responding and said there was no clear prospect of extinguishing the fire. [ 3 , 13 ]
The factory operates around the clock, but police believed nobody was inside the warehouse when the fire started. Asahi Shimbun reported that the 46 employees on the premises had evacuated by 11:35. No injuries or people unable to escape were reported. The site is about 6 kilometers northwest of Nakagawa's town hall, in an area surrounded by farmland. [ 3 ]
Fire officials said there was no risk of the flames spreading beyond the site, according to Asahi Shimbun. The newspaper reported no evacuation appeal for homes outside the premises. Sankei Shimbun reported that police were investigating the detailed cause of the fire. [ 3 , 9 ]
Why it matters
The fire burned a warehouse storing plastic products and spread to part of a factory building within the site, according to Asahi Shimbun. Fire officials said it posed no risk of spreading beyond the premises, and no evacuation appeal was issued for nearby homes.
Key facts
- An emergency call reporting smoke from a warehouse was made at about 05:10 on October 12. [ 3 , 5 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]
- The fire occurred at the Ogawa No. 2 factory of Yoshino Kogyosho (吉野工業所) in Nakagawa, Tochigi prefecture. [ 3 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]
- All 46 employees evacuated safely, according to Nakagawa police. [ 3 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]
- Asahi Shimbun reported that a warehouse burned and the fire spread to part of a factory building within the site. [ 3 ]
- A total of 38 firefighting vehicles were deployed. [ 3 , 13 ]
- The cause of the fire was under investigation. [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A fire broke out at a plastics factory in Nakagawa on October 12. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 9 ]
- All 46 employees evacuated safely. [ 3 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]
- No injuries were reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 7 , 9 ]
- Firefighting continued into the night. [ 3 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 ]
- The response involved 38 firefighting vehicles. [ 3 , 13 ]
Still unclear
- The cause of the fire. Sankei Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun and Nishi-Nippon Shimbun report that police were investigating the cause.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- An emergency call reported smoke from a warehouse at the factory. [ 3 , 5 , 9 ]
- All 46 employees on the premises had evacuated by this time, Asahi Shimbun reported. [ 3 ]
- Firefighting was continuing about 17 hours after the emergency call, according to Asahi Shimbun. [ 3 ]
- Nippon TV News reported no clear prospect of extinguishing the factory fire and no injuries. [ 14 ]