Osaka fire: 27 feared dead after inferno broke out near railway station
ALMOST 30 people are feared to be dead after a fire broke out in the Japanese city of Osaka, local reports have said.
Osaka Fire: 27 feared dead after suspected arson attack
Around 27 people are reported to be at risk of death after a building in Osaka was set ablaze on Friday, firefighters claim. An official statement from Osaka's fire department stated 27 people were in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest.
The term is used in Japan before a death is officially confirmed.
One other person is reported to have sustained injuries.
The local fire department was informed of the blaze at around 10.20am.
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An Osaka fire department official said: "The fire was detected at 10:18 am at the fourth floor."
They added: "As of noon, 70 fire engines are at the scene."
They were told the fire had started on the fourth floor of an six-floor building located in the city's shopping and entertainment district and close to the major JR Osaka railway station.
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Video footage also showed smoke around the six-storey building, which is said to include a psychiatry clinic.
A witness to the fire told NHK: "There was lots of a dark smoke... there was a very strong smell, too."
Many victims were found to have been in a state of heart or lung failure.
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The cause of the fire remains unknown but the blaze was extinguished at around 10.45am.
Police are investigating the scene for potential arson, according to Kyodo News.