Four children die in house fire in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture; Brazilian father tries to rescue them but encounters explosion
Quick Look
- Around 2 p.m. on the 2nd, a fire broke out in a residential area in Korasu-cho, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, and the home of Uryu Marcelo, a 38-year-old Brazilian company employee, was completely destroyed.
- The fire spread to nearby areas, and the bodies of four people, including a 4-year-old daughter and three other children who were apparently left inside, were found.
- Uryu said he came home from work after hearing his child's phone call and tried to open the window, but was unable to rescue him due to the explosion.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Korazu-cho, Tsu City is located on the delta at the mouth of the Kumoide River, and is an area where relatively new houses are lined up among rice fields. The accident site is located in a densely populated area, in an alley set back from the street.
On a sunny afternoon on the 2nd, an explosion echoed in a residential area near Ise Bay.
According to the Mie Prefectural Police Tsunan Police Station and the Tsu City Fire Department, the fire broke out around 2 p.m. on the 2nd in a residential area in Korasu-cho, Tsu City. The one-story wooden house where office worker Uryu Marcelo (38) lives was completely destroyed, and the fire spread to some neighboring houses.
According to the police, Uryu is a Brazilian national, and it appears that Uryu's daughter (4) and three other people's children, aged between 10 and 13, were left behind in the room. The fire was extinguished around 4 p.m., but the bodies of four people were found in the ashes. Police believe the bodies are those of four children and are currently working to confirm their identities.
Jessica Sikhara, 38, from Brazil, who is an acquaintance of Uryuu, said: ``He was a hard worker and a very caring person. He took care not only of his own children, but of other children as well.''
The site is located on a delta at the mouth of the Kumode River in the eastern part of Tsu City, where relatively new houses are lined up among rice fields.
Uryu's house stands along an alley set back from the street and is surrounded by houses. Even on the evening of the 2nd, several hours after the fire broke out, a burning smell still permeated the area.
Why did the fire occur?
Dematos Lima, 42, a Brazilian who is a business friend of Uryuu, spoke with Uryuu after the fire. Uryu was at work at the time, and said he hurried home after receiving a call from his child, who was at home. He said he tried to open the window to save the children, but ``there was an explosion and I couldn't help them.''
A 30-year-old self-employed woman nearby heard a ``terrible explosion'' around 2 p.m. At his workplace, there was talk that it might have been a gas explosion.
A couple in their 40s who live nearby said they noticed the sky getting lighter and darker around 2 p.m. When I looked out the bathroom window, I could smell a burning smell.
``I thought it was a minor fire, but suddenly I heard a popping sound,'' he recalled.
A female office worker in her 40s who lives nearby has two daughters, one in the fourth grade of elementary school and the other in the first year of university. ``As a parent of a young daughter, I don't think this is normal for everyone,'' he said with concern.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Detailed investigation results into the cause of the fire by the police and fire department are announced.
Very likely · Within weeks
Mental health support for nearby residents will be considered
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- What is the exact cause of the fire?
- What is the mechanism behind the explosion sound?
- Is the possibility of a gas leak under investigation?
- Why were the children left indoors?
