Eight students and three teachers have been hospitalized after a blaze ripped through an elementary school. According to People, there were 350 students and teachers in the Takinogawa No. 3 Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan, at the time of the fire.
The tragic incident happened at around 11:00 am local time on Friday, June 19. According to a local news outlet, students were first alerted to the fire when students in a music room smelled something burning.
Smoke started bellowing out of the building's fourth floor not too long after. A call to the fire department explained, "Smoke from the music room on the 4th floor!"
That prompted a massive response from fire crews. 75 fire trucks alongside other vehicles ended up getting dispatched to the location.
The fire was pretty major. It ended up taking the Tokyo Fire Department around three hours to extinguish the blaze. The blaze ended up destroying around 2,000 sq. ft of the building.
The cause of the blaze is currently unknown. While authorities suspect a stove could be the cause, there is no concrete explanation at the moment.
Footage from the incident showed that several children were forced to evacuate to the rooftop and balconies. They ended up needing to be rescued by fire crews using ladder trucks. One child also broke a bone after they fell whilst evacuating.
Those who needed to be hospitalized were reported to have said that they felt unwell.
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Locals Were Shocked to See the Fire Unfold
Locals who were interviewed about the incident thought it was a terrifying ordeal.
One woman said, "I was surprised to see flames shooting out of the window, and black smoke rising. Children were crying in the schoolyard, and the sirens were blaring, which was frightening." She had thought it was a fire drill rather than an actual life-threatening event.
The children also thought the whole thing was really frightening — one third grader was interviewed and said it was "scary." He said it was because of the loud noises and smoke. Parents also ended up praising the teachers for helping and protecting their kids.
We're glad that there have been no reports of anyone passing away because of the blaze. In any case, our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been hospitalized.
