A fire erupted at an elementary school in Tokyo on Friday, leaving eight students and two teachers injured before the blaze was brought under control, according to Kyodo News.
Most of the 10 injured individuals suffered from smoke inhalation at the school located in Kita Ward. Authorities confirmed that four people required rescue from inside the building.
The fire was reported around 11 a.m. local time, originating in a room adjacent to the music room on the fourth floor. It was fully extinguished by approximately 1:45 p.m., the local fire department stated.
Approximately 340 students attend the ward-run school, according to its website. Classes were in session when the fire broke out, and fifth-grade students were receiving a lesson in the music room. They, along with other students, evacuated to the schoolyard while wearing protective hoods kept for emergencies.
Part of a wall on the fourth floor was blackened and charred, officials reported.
An 11-year-old boy who was in an English class when the fire started said, “We called out ‘Calm down’ with teachers but it was very scary.”
A 58-year-old employee of a nearby company remarked, “I was surprised by a fire alarm and watched outside to find many pupils in the schoolyard. Red flames were emerging from the school and the sky became completely black due to the smoke.”
