TOKYO: Firefighters and army helicopters were battling a fire Wednesday that has burned through a neighborhood in southwestern Japan and forced more than 170 people to evacuate.
At least 170 homes have been damaged or burned down and a man in his 70s was unaccounted for, Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
The fire started during strong winds Tuesday evening near a fishing port in the city of Oita and spread to a forest. Oita is on the southern main island of Kyushu.
Japanese television footage by midday showed smoke still rising from swaths of land filled with burned-down and damaged houses, though orange flames were no longer visible.
One resident told Kyodo News Agency she quickly fled without many of her belongings because the fire “spread in the blink of an eye.”
Dozens of fire engines and more than 200 firefighters were mobilized to battle the fire, which still was not fully under control nearly 20 hours after it started.
The Ground Self-Defense Force dispatched two UH1 army helicopters to join the firefighting effort.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a statement she posted on X, offered her sympathy for those affected by the fire and pledged to “provide maximum support” for them.
Fire burning in southwestern Japan damages 170 homes and forces evacuations
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Fire burning in southwestern Japan damages 170 homes and forces evacuations
- The fire started during strong winds Tuesday evening near a fishing port in the city of Oita and spread to a forest. Oita is on the southern main island of Kyushu
US playwright arrested in Japan for alleged drug smuggling: reports
- Harris was detained at Naha airport on November 16
- Customs officers found 0.78 grams of a substance containing the stimulant MDMA concealed in his bag
TOKYO: Prominent American playwright and actor Jeremy O. Harris has been arrested in Japan on suspicion of drug smuggling, according to local media reports.
Known for his Tony-nominated “Slave Play” and his appearance in the hit show “Emily in Paris,” Harris was detained at Naha airport on November 16, the Okinawa Times reported on Thursday.
Customs officers found 0.78 grams of a substance containing the stimulant MDMA concealed in the 36-year-old’s tote bag, according to the newspaper.
It was not clear whether Harris had been officially charged.
Japan has some of the world’s strictest drug laws, and possession of illegal narcotics can result in jail time.
Harris arrived in the southern Okinawa region on a flight from Taiwan, where he had a layover after flying from Britain, according to local broadcaster RBC.
He came to Japan for tourism, the broadcaster said.
“Slave Play” earned a record-breaking 12 Tony nominations in 2018, but did not win any awards.
Harris also serves as a co-producer of HBO’s popular series “Euphoria.”
