SAITAMA (TR) – A fifth person who was inside a soapland bathhouse in Saitama City when fire broke out over the weekend has died due to smoke inhalation, police said on Friday, reports TV Asahi (Dec. 22).
The victim, a 25-year-old resident of Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward, died in a hospital just before 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday. The results of an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be carbon monoxide poisoning.
Twelve persons were either killed or suffered injuries in the blaze, which broke out on December 17 inside bathhouse Kawaii Omiya, located inside a three-floor building about 300 meters from JR Omiya Station.
The deceased are customers and employees of Kawaii Omiya. Among the others persons confirmed dead are a 29-year-old woman from Shiki City, Saitama Prefecture, a 25-year-old woman from Toshima Ward, Tokyo and a 42-year-old male office worker from Nishi Ward, Saitama City. The burned body of man that was found on the third floor of the building remains unidentified.
The results of autopsies revealed that the four victims died due to carbon monoxide poisoning and or burns.
After the incident, the woman who died on Wednesday was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Seven other persons suffered minor injuries.
According to a previous report, the fire engulfed the second and third floors before it was extinguished by personnel from twenty fire trucks over a roughly five-hour period. The blaze started in a garbage collection area on the second floor. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.