Tokyo couple die in sauna fire after being trapped inside
A husband and wife died after being trapped in a private sauna room that caught fire in Japan on Monday.
Tokyo police are investigating whether a faulty doorknob was jammed in the couple’s room at Sauna Tiger in the city’s Akasaka district, local media reported.
Investigators also found that the facility’s emergency alarm system was off and had allegedly been off for two years.
“We offer our deepest condolences and deepest condolences for the deep grief and pain that cannot be expressed in words,” Sauna Tiger said in a statement on its website. he said.
The victims were named in local media as 37-year-old nail artist Yoko Matsuda and her husband Masanari, 36, who runs a beauty salon.
The fire brigade was called at around 12:25 local time (03:25 GMT) on Monday when the facility’s fire alarm went off. The sauna’s doorknob was on the ground when firefighters arrived, investigators told Japanese media.
According to local media reports, the couple was found collapsed on top of each other with their heads near the door. Those who were taken to hospital later died.
Police stated that a burnt towel was found in the sauna, which may have caused the fire when the towel touched the hot sauna stones.
The sauna room had an emergency alarm on the wall to alert staff if help was needed, but investigators found this alarm was off. But the Metropolitan Police Department said the alarm cover had been removed, indicating the couple had pressed on the alarm, possibly to call for help.
According to local media reports, police stated that when staff were questioned about the alarm, they claimed that the alarm had not been activated “since 2023”.
Minato Public Health Center told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper that the sauna has been in operation since July 2022 and was last inspected in April 2023, and that “no significant deficiencies were found.” [were] located in the equipment”.
Saunas are becoming increasingly popular in Japan, and many facilities offer private rooms. But there has also been an increase in sauna-related accidents, leading to calls for tighter regulation of the industry.
In a statement, Sauna Tiger said it took the incident “very seriously” and was “fully cooperating with the fire department’s investigations.”
He added that Sauna Tiger will be “closed for now” and all customers who booked will be offered a refund.
