A fire erupted at a paper factory in southwestern Japan on Thursday as workers attempted to dismantle a chimney damaged by a deadly earthquake last month.
The blaze broke out at the Nippon Paper Industries' facility in Yatsushiro City, located in Kumamoto Prefecture. Emergency services received a call on Thursday evening from a factory employee reporting that a fire had started during demolition work on one of the compromised structures.
Footage broadcast on NHK national television showed an orange fire burning within one of the broken chimneys, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky. According to municipal fire officials, the fire started while workers were attempting to remove the broken tip of the chimney. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined. More than three hours after 14 fire engines were deployed to the scene, firefighters were still actively working to extinguish the flames.
The factory's chimneys were severely compromised during a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on July 28, which claimed 38 lives in the region. Three of the five chimneys at the factory sustained severe damage in the quake, including an 80-meter (262-foot) chimney that collapsed and killed nine factory employees.
The July earthquake also destroyed or damaged approximately 36,000 houses and buildings, leaving more than 2,000 people displaced and still living in evacuation centers, including school gymnasiums and community centers.
Some 36,000 houses and buildings were destroyed or damaged, and more than 2,000 people are still living in evacuation centers, including school gymnasiums and community centers.Thursday's fire broke out when workers tried to remove the chimney's broken tip, though nobody was injured, officials said.
