TOKYO
An explosion at a U.S. military base southwest of Japan’s capital Tokyo has burned down hundreds of square meters of a warehouse, but no injuries were reported, according to local authorities Monday.
Kyodo News cited firefighters in Sagamihara city, Kanagawa prefecture, as saying that the one-story warehouse at the U.S. Army Sagami General Depot erupted into flames at around 0.45 a.m. (1545GMT)
After causing damage to around 900 square meters of the warehouse, the fire was put out approximately seven hours later.
According to firefighters, metal oxygen tanks at the site may have exploded.
Sagamihara’s government said that Col. William Johnson, U.S. Army Garrison Japan commander, had apologized to Mayor Toshio Kayama over the phone.
The prefectural police said the U.S. military would investigate the incident as Japanese police are not permitted to investigate occurrences at American bases or facilities under based a Japan-U.S. status of forces agreement, according to Kyodo.
The U.S. Defense Department in Washington announced after that there had reportedly been no injuries in the accident, and that there were no hazardous substances at the warehouse or radiological materials or munitions at the depot.
Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, told a press conference that the explosion had "created anxiety for residents living nearby," requesting that the U.S. investigate the case and take preventive measures.
