7 days ago
Fireworks Accident Sets Barge on Fire: Video
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A fireworks display ended in disaster on Monday night after a barge erupted in flames off the coast of Yokohama, Japan.
Newsweek has contacted the Japanese coast guard's Fifth Regional Headquarters for comment by email.
Why It Matters
The incident took place toward the end of the annual Minato Mirai Smart Festival, an event designed to promote local businesses and boost Yokohama's international profile. According to the festival's website, the event featured the launch of about 20,000 fireworks in 25 minutes.
What To Know
Authorities received an emergency call around 7:55 p.m. reporting smoke rising from the waterfront, Jiji Press reported.
One of the barges serving as a launch platform for the fireworks had caught fire. All five workers on board jumped into the sea and were rescued by the coast guard, with one being transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
No other injuries were reported.
The fire also spread to a nearby vessel, though there were no crew members on board at the time.
Event organizers said the blaze was caused when the machine launching fireworks malfunctioned.
Footage circulating online shows bright streams of sparks and large plumes of smoke streaming from the ship as a fire spreads across the deck of the stricken barge.
The incident recalls a similar blaze that broke out on a barge set to carry fireworks to Marblehead, Massachusetts, early on July 4, 2024. The accidental fire led to the cancellation of the city's Independence Day celebration later that day.
Viral Video in Japan: there was a mishap during a fireworks display in Yokohama tonight. One of the fireworks barges caught fire in the middle of the performance.
Five workers on the barge jumped into the water and survived. — Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) August 4, 2025
What People Are Saying
The Minato Mira Smart Festival organizers wrote on Facebook: "As the organizing committee for the fireworks display, we will first thoroughly investigate the cause. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to everyone who looks forward to this fireworks display every year."
One Japanese netizen wrote on X on Tuesday: "Even now, past 12:30 a.m., the fireworks that have become uncontrollable continue to explode."
Another X user wrote: "An unexpected turn of events... The fire is stealing the spotlight from the fireworks. I hope everything's okay."
A third user wrote on the platform: "Fireworks shouldn't be set off in the middle of a city like this anymore. It's a small mercy that no one was injured. If things had gone wrong, there's a chance all of Yokohama could have been engulfed in flames, which is terrifying."
What Happens Next
The police for the Kanagawa prefecture are continuing their investigation into the incident, according to Jiji Press.
