Blaze rips through building ‘killing 27 people’ in Japan as cops probe ‘arson’

A blaze ripped through a psychiatry clinic in Osaka, Japan, with at least 27 people feared dead at the city centre building as police probe arson, it is reported

A fire has ripped through a psychiatry clinic in a busy shopping district of Osaka, Japan, with at least 27 people feared dead as police investigate suspected arson, local media reported.

The blaze erupted on Friday morning leaving 27 people in “cardiopulmonary arrest”, the term used in Japan before a death is officially confirmed, said a city fire official who added that another person was injured.

Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed smoke pouring out of fourth floor windows, where the medical facility is located, and at the roof of the building.

Police were investigating suspected arson, including reports that a man started the fire in the building, Kyodo News said, citing people involved in the investigation.

An elderly man brought in a bag that leaked flammable liquid and was ignited, the Yomiuri newspaper claimed. He was believed to be a patient at the clinic, it was also reported by the Mainichi news outlet.

Local media reported that the fire was “mostly extinguished” after 30 minutes.

According to reports the blaze was notified to the fire department at about 10.20am after a fire started on the fourth floor of the building which is near to major railway hub Osaka Station.

The blaze was nearly extinguished by about 10:45am after it burnt over an area of about 20 square meters, the fire department said.

Kyodo News reports that one witness said of the incident: “When I looked outside, I saw an orange flame in the window on the fourth floor of the building.

“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 and there were a lot of fire trucks and ambulances. People were being rescued by a ladder truck. At one point, there was a power outage in the surrounding area.”

The outlet also reported that the fire had started at the medical clinic which is said to provide psychosomatic and psychiatric treatment.

It was in a shopping and entertainment district not far from Osaka’s main train station and the building also houses a beauty salon, a clothes shop and an English-language school, NHK said.

The father of a doctor who ran the clinic was not able to reach his son by mobile phone, he told the Yomiuri newspaper.

“Around noon I heard there was news of a fire on television and was surprised. My wife went to the site but we still don’t know what’s going on. I can’t get through to my son’s phone.”