Fire Occurs at Quake-Hit Nippon Paper Plant in Kumamoto

Kumamoto, Sept. 3 (Jiji Press)–A fire broke out Thursday afternoon at a Nippon Paper Industries Co. plant heavily damaged in a massive earthquake that rocked the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto in late July. According to the Kumamoto prefectural police department, no one was injured in the blaze. In the 7.1-magnitude temblor on July 28, a chimney at the plant in the Kumamoto city of Yatsushiro collapsed, leaving nine people dead. Around 5:55 p.m. Thursday, local fire authorities received an emergency call from a person related to the plant reporting that a fire broke out during work to dismantle the chimney. The fire started near the chimney, and 10 people were engaged in the work at the time, the police and other sources said. None of them suffered injuries. The blaze was brought under control shortly before 9:30 p.m., according to the police. Nippon Paper said: “We deeply apologize to people in the neighborhood for causing concern and trouble due to the smoke and noise related to the fire. We will fully cooperate in authorities’ investigation into the cause of the fire.” The July 28 earthquake measured a seismic intensity of upper 6, the second-highest level on the Japanese scale, in Yatsushiro. Work to remove the collapsed chimney started in late August. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]