Arab News Japan

TOKYO: A fire broke out in the Uomachi Ginten-gai shopping arcade street in Kitakyushu City. Intense flames rose and spread through the crowded stores just after 3:10 p.m. on Wednesday.

Scenes of smoke were observed coming out of Uomachi Ginten-gai, a shopping street in Kokura Kita Ward, Kitakyushu City. The fire appears to have started near the Torimachi Shokudōgai restaurant street, adjacent to some particularly old buildings. Uomachi Gintengai was founded in 1951 and is Japan’s first arcade shopping street.

An employee of a restaurant across the street from where the fire appeared to have started was quoted by local media as saying, “When I woke up, the whole area was covered in smoke, and I could see the fire starting to spread, so I immediately evacuated with other customers who were nearby.”

The citizens of Kitakyushu are reported to be in great shock because this occurred very near to the Tanga Market, which suffered two major fires covering 5000 square meters and 87 stores two years ago.

The citizens of Kitakyushu are reported to be in great shock because this occurred very near to the Tanga Market, which suffered two major fires covering 5000 square meters and 87 stores two years ago.

The site is a large shopping street with an arcade about a 3-minute walk from JR Kokura Station in Kitakyushu City.