Shuri Castle: Fire engulfs world heritage site in Japan

The main building of the Shuri Castle is seen on fire in NahaImage copyright
EPA

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Shuri Castle was previously destroyed during World War Two

A fire has ripped through Shuri Castle, a World Heritage Site in Okinawa, Japan, destroying the main building.

Firefighters have been battling the flames since early on Thursday. No injuries have been reported so far.

The castle, built about 500 years ago in the Ryukyu Dynasty, was designated Japan’s national treasure in 1933.

It was previously destroyed in a battle during World War Two. The current structure is a reconstruction.

Firefighters are still battling the blaze as of 09:00 local time on Tuesday (00:00 GMT), local media said.

The north and south buildings of the castle, of all which were wooden structures, have also burned to the ground, Japan Times reported.

“The cause of the fire has not been determined yet but a security company alarm went off at around 2:30 in the morning,” Ryo Kochi, a spokesman with the Okinawa prefectural police told news agency AFP.

Image copyright
AFP

Image caption

Shuri castle was designated Japan’s national treasure in 1933

source: bbc.com