Osaka apartment fire kills one man, second resident hospitalised
In short
A fire broke out around 18:15 on 6 October in a three-storey building in Nakamoto, Higashinari Ward, Osaka City, burning about 20 square metres of a first-floor room. One man died and a second man, a resident of the second floor, was taken to hospital with no life-threatening injuries, police said. Investigators are working to confirm the dead man's identity and the cause of the fire.
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A fire broke out at around 18:15 on 6 October in a three-storey residential building in Nakamoto, Higashinari Ward, Osaka City. TBS NEWS DIG reported that a neighbouring resident called the fire service to say smoke was coming from an adjoining room, and that 34 fire engines were sent to the scene. [ 1 , 2 ]
One man died in the fire. Sankei Shimbun reported that the man rescued from the room was confirmed dead at the hospital where he was taken, and that he was elderly and was found lying face-up at the back of the room. Nippon TV News also reported one death and said police believe the dead man was a man in his 80s who lived alone in the room where the fire started. TBS NEWS DIG, reporting earlier in the evening, said the man believed to be a resident was taken to hospital unconscious. Sankei Shimbun reported that police were still hurrying to confirm the man's identity. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
A second man was also taken to hospital. Sankei Shimbun identified him as a 74-year-old resident of the second floor who inhaled smoke, and said his condition was not life-threatening; Nippon TV News described him as a man in his 70s and likewise said his life was not in danger. [ 2 , 3 ]
Sankei Shimbun and Nippon TV News reported that about 20 square metres burned, and that the fire was extinguished roughly two hours after it started. The outlets described the building differently: TBS NEWS DIG called it a cooperative residential building, Sankei Shimbun an apartment building, and Nippon TV News a building combining a store and residence. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Police and fire authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, Sankei Shimbun and Nippon TV News reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The fire killed one resident of a small residential building and sent a second to hospital, a reminder of fire risk for elderly people living alone in dense urban housing. Police and fire authorities are investigating the cause, and the identity of the dead man had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.
Key facts
- The fire broke out at around 18:15 on 6 October in the Nakamoto district of Higashinari Ward, Osaka City, according to TBS NEWS DIG and Sankei Shimbun. [ 1 , 2 ]
- About 20 square metres of a first-floor room burned, and the fire was put out about two hours later, Sankei Shimbun and Nippon TV News reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
- One man died; Sankei Shimbun said he was elderly and was found lying face-up at the back of the room. [ 2 , 3 ]
- A second man living on the second floor was taken to hospital after inhaling smoke, with no life-threatening condition, according to Sankei Shimbun and Nippon TV News. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Police are working to confirm the dead man's identity and are investigating the cause of the fire, Sankei Shimbun and Nippon TV News reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reported that the fire service sent 34 fire engines to the scene. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A fire occurred on 6 October at around 18:15 in a three-storey residential building in Nakamoto, Higashinari Ward, Osaka City. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- About 20 square metres of a first-floor room burned and the fire was extinguished roughly two hours after it started. [ 2 , 3 ]
- One man died in the fire. [ 2 , 3 ]
- A second man, a resident of the second floor, was taken to hospital after inhaling smoke and his condition was not life-threatening. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Police and fire authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The identity of the man who died had not been confirmed. Sankei Shimbun said police were hurrying to confirm his identity, while TBS NEWS DIG and Nippon TV News described him as a man in his 80s and said police believe he lived alone in the room where the fire started; this is a police assessment, not a confirmed identification.
- Whether the fire started in the room where the dead man lived. Nippon TV News said police believe the dead man was the resident of the room where the fire originated, but Sankei Shimbun did not state this and the cause remains under investigation.
- The exact nature of the building. The outlets describe it differently: TBS NEWS DIG as a cooperative residential building, Sankei Shimbun as an apartment building, and Nippon TV News as a building combining a store and residence.
- The age of the second man taken to hospital. Sankei Shimbun gave his age as 74, while Nippon TV News said he was in his 70s.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Fire reported at a three-storey building in Nakamoto, Higashinari Ward, Osaka City; a neighbouring resident told the fire service that smoke was coming from an adjoining room. [ 1 , 2 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports the fire, saying a man in his 80s believed to be a resident was taken to hospital unconscious. [ 1 ]
- The fire is extinguished about two hours after it started. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports that the man rescued from the room was confirmed dead at the hospital and that a 74-year-old second-floor resident was treated for smoke inhalation. [ 2 ]
- Nippon TV News reports one man died and that police believe he was a man in his 80s living alone in the room where the fire started. [ 3 ]