Broken Door May Have Trapped Victims in Tokyo Sauna Fire

Tokyo, Dec. 16 (Jiji Press)--Two people who were found dead after a fire at a sauna facility in the Akasaka district of Tokyo's Minato Ward on Monday may have been trapped inside a sauna unit due to a broken door, investigative sources said Tuesday.

The L-shaped handles of the sauna unit's door were found on the floor inside and outside the unit, according to the sources.

The two victims--Masaya Matsuda, a 36-year-old beauty salon owner, and his 37-year-old wife, Yoko, a nail technician--were found collapsed near the door inside the sauna unit.

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating whether the victims were unable to escape because the door was inoperable, as well as how the facility, called SaunaTiger, was managed.

In the sauna unit the victims used, parts of the wooden bench, including the backrest and seat, were charred, and a burned towel was left on top of the bench, according to the sources.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]