Tokyo sauna fire kills couple

International

A HUSBAND and wife died after they were trapped inside a private sauna room that caught fire in central Tokyo, prompting an investigation into possible equipment failures and safety lapses at the facility.

Tokyo police said the couple was inside a private room at Sauna Tiger in the Akasaka district when a fire broke out on Monday.

Investigators are examining whether a faulty doorknob prevented the pair from escaping as smoke and heat filled the enclosed space, a report by BBC said.

Local media reported that when firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after noon, the sauna room’s doorknob had already fallen to the floor. The fire department received the emergency call at around 12:25 p.m. local time, when the building’s fire alarm was triggered.

The victims were later identified as Yoko Matsuda, 37, a nail artist, and her husband Masanari Matsuda, 36, who owned a beauty salon. They were found collapsed on the floor, lying on top of each other with their heads near the door, suggesting they may have been trying to escape.

Both were rushed to hospital but later died.

Police said a burnt towel was discovered inside the sauna room, raising the possibility that the fire began when the towel came into contact with hot sauna stones. The exact cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Investigators also uncovered troubling details about the facility’s emergency systems. The sauna room was equipped with a wall-mounted emergency alarm designed to alert staff if guests needed help, but police said the alarm had been switched off. Its cover had been removed, indicating the couple may have repeatedly pressed it in an attempt to call for assistance.

When questioned, sauna staff allegedly told police that the emergency alarm had not been activated “since around 2023,” according to Japanese media.

Authorities are now examining whether this constituted a serious violation of safety regulations.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)