Horror moment 'biggest fire in 5 decades' ravages city and burns down 170 homes

Dozens of homes were burnt down by the fire (Image: AZ Intel/X)

This is the horror moment a fire ravages a city in Japan, killing at least one person.  The fire, which gripped through 170 buildings erupted on Tuesday evening in Oita City’s hilly Saganoseki district, a quiet fishing community on Kyushu island.

Aerial footage captured the destruction, showing rows of wooden homes reduced to rubble as thick black smoke billowed across the coastline. Emergency crews battled tirelessly to contain the inferno, but the scale of the blaze made their task overwhelming. Amid the chaos, a man in his seventies went missing, adding a tragic human dimension to the unfolding disaster. Within minutes, the fire spread with devastating speed, engulfing entire streets and leaving little chance for escape.

Firefighters work at the scene of a major blaze at a residential area in Saganoseki, Oita City (Image: JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)

Firefighters later found a body at the home of a 76-year-old man who was missing. Police reported that the victim was discovered in cardiac arrest and, despite efforts to save them, was later pronounced dead.

Investigators are now working to establish the individual’s identity, though details such as their gender and age have not yet been disclosed. Authorities continue to gather information as the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident progresses.

The blaze has burned 48,900 square metres - roughly the size of seven soccer fields - forcing 175 residents in the district, some 770 km (478 miles) southwest of Tokyo, to flee to an emergency shelter, Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. 

One person was unaccounted for while 175 others were evacuated as a major fire engulfed a residential area in Japan (Image: JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a post on X: "I extend my heartfelt condolences to all residents who are evacuating in the cold. The government will provide the maximum possible support in collaboration with local authorities."

The fire has led to widespread disruption, with power outages reported at around 300 homes in the district, according to Kyushu Electric Power. The scale of destruction, both in terms of the number of buildings affected and the size of the area consumed by flames, marks it as Japan’s largest urban fire since the 1976 Sakata blaze, excluding those triggered by earthquakes, reports Reuters.

For comparison, a 2016 fire in Itoigawa destroyed 147 buildings across roughly 40,000 square metres, though fortunately no lives were lost in that incident.