Society

Death toll from Akita apartment building blaze rises to five

Aug 23 (Japan Times) - The Akita Prefectural Police on Wednesday discovered another body following a fire that engulfed a two-story wooden apartment building in the city of Yokote early Tuesday, bringing the death toll to five.

The police believe all the people killed in the blaze were residents of the building and are thought to range in age between 58 to 78. Autopsies are ongoing for the victims.

Ten residents were also injured in the fire that started around 1 a.m. Tuesday at the apartment, which was built more than 30 years ago.

The last body was found on Wednesday near a first-floor bathroom, according to investigators.

The police said there were 25 residents in the building - 24 men ranging in age from their 20s to 70s and all living alone - and one male caretaker. There were 13 rooms on the first floor and 15 on the second.

Four of the five people that remained missing were living on the second floor, where the police and firefighters suspect the fire originated.

Of the 24 residents, 17 were undergoing psychiatric treatment at a nearby hospital, the company that manages the building said, and 12 were living on welfare, according to a Yokote city official.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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