Dec 19 (Japan Times) - An explosion in Sapporo that injured 42 people over the weekend occurred after two employees of a real estate office located at the site emptied about 100 deodorizer spray cans at once, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
Apaman Co., which operates the real estate office, said in a statement that the employees reported having turned on a water heater afterward. The blast damaged buildings as far as 100 meters away.
Investigators believe gas built up inside the office, the doors and windows of which were closed at the time.
According to the manufacturer of the deodorizer, the product continuously releases its contents for about four minutes once a button is pushed.
Apaman’s Hokkaido unit said such sprays are used to get rid of odors at properties handled by the company. The shop destroyed in the blast had been scheduled to be renovated in the near future.
“We want to offer our sincere apologies to the victims of the explosion,†Apaman said in the statement.
No one was killed in the blast, partly because it took about 10 minutes for the building to be engulfed in flames, according to police.
Survivors, who were initially trapped on the second floor of a Japanese-style pub next to the real estate office, said they were only able to escape when the entire second floor collapsed after many of them flocked to the window-side of the building.
A 41-year-old woman living near the real estate office said she saw two young men outside the building holding spray cans in both of their hands and emptying them toward the real estate office at around noon Sunday. She added she saw a cardboard box at their feet with six more spray cans inside.
Source: ANNnewsCH
