Firefighters inspect a house in Tochigi Prefecture gutted by a fire on Wednesday morning. Photo: KYODO

3 perish in Tochigi house fire

TOCHIGI - Three members of a family died in a residential fire in Ichikai, Tochigi Prefecture, on Wednesday morning.

According to police and firefighters, flames were seen coming from the two-story house by a neighbor at around 4 a.m., Fuji TV reported. It took firefighters about one hour to extinguish the blaze. A small residence adjacent to the house was also destroyed.

The bodies of two men were found in the house. An unconscious woman was found in the smaller residence and taken to hospital where she died later. Police said the three people were Zen Kobayashi, 82, who owned the house, his son, 57, the son’s 31-year-old daughter.

The household had five residents. Kobayashi's wife managed to escape the house unharmed, while his granddaughter7s husband was out at the time.

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/national/3-perish-in-tochigi-house-fire