Overview
- A fire broke out at the Nippon Paper plant in Yatsushiro while crews were dismantling a chimney that collapsed in July, and no workers were injured.
- Police and local fire authorities received an emergency call after the blaze began near the chimney and brought the fire under control late in the evening.
- Ten workers were on site performing removal work when the fire started and all staff evacuated without harm, according to authorities.
- Nippon Paper issued an apology for the smoke and noise, pledged full cooperation with the probe, and said cleanup and demolition work will continue under scrutiny.
- The plant was heavily damaged in the July 7.1-magnitude earthquake that collapsed the chimney and killed nine people, and the incident highlights risks in post-quake industrial demolition and expected regulatory and community review.