Man dies in fire at Nikkei head office

December 21, 2017

Tokyo- A man died in a fire that broke out in the head office of Japanese newspaper publisher Nikkei Inc. in a busy central Tokyo district on Thursday.

After receiving an emergency call around 10:50 a.m. (1:50 a.m. GMT) reporting a fire in a smoking area of the office building, the Tokyo Fire Department went to the scene and confirmed that a men's restroom on the second floor had caught fire.

The fire burned about 30 square meters inside the restroom before being put out in about an hour.

The man was found in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest in a stall of the restroom and was confirmed dead after being taken to hospital.

A cleaning staff member working at the building said she heard a bang from the stall and then saw a flame.

Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the cause of the fire and is trying to identify the man.

About 20 fire engines were mobilized around the building in the Otemachi business district in Chiyoda Ward, where many large buildings stand. Jiji Press