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The Mainichi
6 days ago
- The Mainichi
Yokohama fireworks event organizer apologizes over fire, wants third-party investigation
YOKOHAMA -- The organizing committee of a fireworks festival here that was canceled halfway through after a fire broke out on a barge has apologized and revealed a plan to set up a third-party panel to investigate the cause of the accident. "We offer our sincerest apologies for causing concern and trouble to local residents and related parties," Hiroyuki Sudo, committee chair and president of the Kanagawa Shimbun daily, told a press conference held by the committee on Aug. 6 at city hall. The fire broke out at around 7:50 p.m. on Aug. 4 during the Minatomirai Smart Festival in Yokohama's Naka Ward. The blaze was extinguished more than 15 hours later around 11:10 a.m. the following day. According to the event organizer, firefighting efforts were withheld for around nine hours from late on Aug. 4 until early next morning to prevent secondary damage from potential explosions. A 53-year-old pyrotechnician was transported to a hospital due to heatstroke. Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka on Aug. 6 requested the organizing committee to "thoroughly find out the cause of the accident." During an emergency meeting held by the committee that afternoon, it decided to fully cooperate with the city fire department and the Yokohama Coast Guard Office in their investigations and to launch a third-party panel. The committee eyes appointing those affiliated with fire and police authorities and university professors as panel members, and plans to compile a report by the end of the year at the earliest. (Japanese original by Daiki Yano, Yokohama Bureau)
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-08-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Man Taken to Hospital after Fire at Yokohama Fireworks Festival; Blaze Occurred on Offshore Launch Platform
YOKOHAMA — A man was taken to a hospital from the site of a fireworks festival after an offshore platform used for launching fireworks caught fire in Yokohama's Minato Mirai district at around 7:50 p.m. on Monday. According to the Yokohama Coast Guard Office and other sources, two of the eight offshore platforms caught fire during the Minato Mirai 21 'Smart Festival 2025' fireworks display. Five fireworks specialists were on board one of the platforms. All of the individuals jumped into the water and were rescued, but a man in his 50s was taken to a hospital. Although the festival was stopped, fire spread to the remaining fireworks, resulting in further explosions. The festival is one of the city's annual summer traditions and has been held since 2018. About 20,000 fireworks were to be launched over the course of 25 minutes after 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
