A massive fire swept through a densely populated residential area in Oita city, situated in the southwestern region of Japan, overnight, leaving one person dead and damaging more than 170 buildings, Kyodo News reported, citing local authorities, on Wednesday.

According to the Kyodo News, the blaze broke out in the Saganoseki port district around 5:45 PM on Tuesday (local time) and continued for over 12 hours, with firefighters and emergency services battling the flames. At one point, up to 180 residents were evacuated from the affected area.

Police confirmed the death of one person at the scene and are working to identify whether it is a 76-year-old man reported missing, Kyodo News reported.

Japan’s Self-Defence Forces were also deployed to assist in controlling the fire, which consumed

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