Four individuals were wounded as an explosion rocked a building in Tokyo’s esteemed Shimbashi district on Monday, as revealed by the Tokyo Fire Department. The aftermath displayed shards of glass and debris strewn across the vicinity, while plumes of smoke gracefully billowed from the second floor.
Following the explosion, a fire swiftly ensued, only to be subsequently extinguished, and the injured parties were promptly transported to a medical facility. The incident, originating from a bar situated on the building’s second level, was reported at approximately 3:15 p.m.
According to the police, the bar’s manager divulged that he had attempted to ignite a cigarette within the designated smoking area when the detonation transpired. The premises purportedly contained a substantial quantity of gas, thereby prompting investigators to diligently confirm supplementary details.
The fire department revealed that two of the wounded individuals were employees of the second-floor establishment, while the other two were innocent bystanders.
Shinobu Nakagawa, a 25-year-old staff member at the restaurant on the building’s ground floor, found himself amidst the calamity. “I was engaged in non-flammable tasks, such as vegetable cutting and store preparations, when an intense tremor reverberated from the floor above,” he recounted. Nakagawa, who happened to be alone at the time, noticed a faint scent of gas during his journey to the store around 2:30 p.m. However, he soon realized that the odor had intensified once he entered the building. Nakagawa posits that the explosion likely occurred shortly before 3 p.m.
The eight-story edifice, positioned west of the JR Shimbashi station, accommodates various establishments, including the first-floor restaurant Torisuta, a bar on the second floor, and clinics on the third and fourth floors. Notably, the second-floor bar remained closed at the time of the explosion.
Witnesses attested to the sight of smoke emanating from the second floor, while fragments of debris and shattered glass lay scattered throughout the area. Preceding the explosion, several individuals distinctly detected the odor of gas.
NHK, Japan’s state media, reported that an explosion unfolded within a building in Tokyo’s commercial Shimbashi district, resulting in four individuals sustaining injuries.
The detonation sent debris cascading across the streets, shattered windows, and spewed forth billows of smoke into the atmosphere.
The conflagration ignited within a bustling restaurant locale at approximately 3:20 a.m. local time (0620 UTC). Renowned as a central Tokyo business and entertainment district, Shimbashi bore witness to the swift arrival of law enforcement personnel subsequent to the reception of an emergency call, as disclosed by local media.
Regarding the Tokyo blast, an eyewitness confided to NHK, “The sound was deafening. It was akin to the impact of a colossal object being dropped from the building’s summit — an awe-inspiring reverberation.” He further noted, “Sheets of paper were strewn about the nearby intersection. By virtue of their dispersion pattern, I instantaneously surmised that an explosion had transpired.”
NHK footage depicted flames engulfing the fragmented windows of the building’s second floor, while some witnesses attested to perceiving the scent of gas preceding the detonation.
A spokesperson from the fire department conveyed, “A total of 32 fire trucks are presently at the scene.” Furthermore, he revealed, “Four individuals have incurred injuries, with three remaining conscious.” The spokesperson, however, refrained from divulging any specific information pertaining to the fourth individual.
Authorities are diligently investigating the origin of the fire.