10 people injured following explosions at Tokyo construction site

TOKYO – A total of 10 people sustained minor injuries, and dozens of buildings were damaged in eastern Tokyo on May 27 after explosions at a construction site, possibly caused by a gas leak, the police said.

Gas was detected at the site in Tokyo’s Edogawa ward, where a fragment of a gas cylinder was also recovered.

The police believe workers may have struck the cylinder with a drill during piling work for a new house, likely causing the gas to ignite.

An emergency call reporting the sound of explosions was made at around 9.35am local time.

A service vehicle caught fire at the site, while workers, nearby residents and others – ranging in age from their 20s to 70s – inhaled smoke and sustained other minor injuries.

Around 40 buildings sustained damage to walls and other parts, with some window glass shattering.

The affected area extended up to a 100m radius from the site, located near Tokyo Metro’s Kasai station.

Mr Keishi Sudo, a 69-year-old who lives in a nearby apartment, said he heard a boom after hearing someone say, “It’s gas!”

The blast shattered the windows, scattering glass throughout his apartment and causing an air-conditioning unit to fall.

“I don’t know how I should live from tomorrow,” he said.

The cause of the explosions was initially explained as a leak from a gas pipe damaged by workers, though no pipes were found at the site.

An investigative source said acetylene gas, which is used to weld metals, may have leaked from the gas cylinder. KYODO NEWS