Fire burns down Japan’s historic castle
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A fire early Thursday burned down structures at Shuri Castle on Japan's southern island of Okinawa, nearly destroying the UNESCO World Heritage site.
A fire early Thursday burned down structures at Shuri Castle on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, nearly destroying the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Firefighters were still battling the blaze a few hours after the fire started early Thursday and nearby residents were evacuated to safer areas, Okinawa police spokesman Ryo Kochi said.
Nobody has been injured. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
“I feel as if we have lost our symbol,” said Naha mayor Mikiko Shiroma, who led an emergency response team at the UNESCO World Heritage site.
A fire department official in protective gear told reporters in a televised interview from the scene that the fire was reported by a private security company that recognized the alarm. The fire that started near the main hall then quickly jumped to the other key buildings.
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