Fire in Oita, Japan Kills 1, Evacuates 170

A massive fire tore through a residential neighborhood in the city of Oita on Japan's southern Kyushu island, killing one person, injuring another and forcing more than 170 residents to evacuate as flames spread rapidly amid strong winds.

The blaze erupted Tuesday evening near a fishing port in the Saganoseki district, a hilly coastal area known for its premium seafood. It quickly engulfed old wooden houses clustered in narrow alleyways, then leaped to nearby forested slopes and an uninhabited island offshore, scorching about 12 acres of land. Local authorities reported at least 170 homes and buildings damaged or destroyed, leaving about 260 households without electricity into Wednesday afternoon.

Firefighters discovered a body in the rubble, believed to be that of a man in his 70s who had been reported missing. A woman in her 50s suffered minor injuries during the chaos. The Oita prefectural disaster response team confirmed the casualties, noting that 188 people had sought shelter at a makeshift evacuation center.

More than 200 firefighters, backed by dozens of fire engines, battled the flames for nearly 20 hours, but the fire was not fully contained by Wednesday midday. The...