44 people were supposed to be saved. I felt my son's heartbeat in the sound of the watch. September 30 15:42

18 years after the building fire in Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, where 44 people died.
"The sound of the wristwatch feels like my son's heartbeat"
My mother said that she has replaced the batteries for 18 years so that her watch would not stop. Meanwhile, the appraisal conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department revealed that all 44 people were saved if the fire door was closed normally.
(Social Department reporter Kohei Fujita, Atsumi Fujishima)

The sound carved by the wrist watch Feeling the beat of the dead son

In the early morning of September 1, 2001, 18 years ago, a fire broke out in a multi-purpose building in Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, together with customers and employees at the 3rd floor Mahjong game store and 4th floor restaurant. 44 people died.

Mr. Kimie Kato (66) in Tatebayashi City, Gunma Prefecture, lost her son, Shinya (26 years old at that time). Shinya, a system engineer in Tokyo, was caught in a fire when visiting a restaurant on the 4th floor.

Mr. Shinya has leadership and has always been surrounded by friends. After gaining experience, the goal was to start a business in the local Gunma Prefecture.

Immediately after learning about the fire in the news, Mr. Kato called Shinya's house, who lived in Shinjuku at the time, but did not connect, and left a message on the answering machine saying, “Shin, are you okay?”.

Later, when I was told by the Metropolitan Police Department that Mr. Shinya had passed away and went to organize the room, the message that was blown into the answering machine was left and the tears didn't stop.

“I was so excited that my son, who was doing my best and sent me back in a spirit car, just took time to accept the reality.”

Kato-san is back with a watch that Shinya-san was wearing at the time of the fire.

The sound of the watch seems to be my son's heartbeat.

It is said that the battery has been replaced for 18 years so that the watch will not stop.

Mother Kato Kimie: “I don't have a son anymore, but when I run out of wristwatch batteries, I put it back in and keep moving to feel my son's heartbeat.”

For the bereaved family of the Kabukicho building fire, an incident occurred that recalled the suffering of 18 years ago. In July, 35 people were killed when the Kyoto Animation studio was set on fire.

Many of the victims were young people who had hopes that they wanted to make anime that would please people. It was because the young people who were working hard towards the dream were sacrificed in the building fire in Kabukicho.

Mr. Kato says that the arson case of Kyo Ani overlaps with the fire 18 years ago and cannot be seen.

Mother Kato Kimie: “When you watch the black smoke video, you have a son in it, and it makes you harder. I think I was with my son, who closed his path in an instant. Although my memory was fading, I was brought back to reality. "

Actor Aimed Son Warmth on Jacket

Masahito Inoue (30 at that time), who was working at the Mahjong game store on the 3rd floor and was involved in the fire, also lost his dream.

Masahito, who was a kind family-friendly son, went to Tokyo to become an actor after graduating from high school. I admired Jackie Chan and worked at a Mahjong game store to learn about living expenses while studying at an actor training office.

Message cards were always attached to presents sent to parents' homes in Kyoto.

“I ’ll definitely be big and go out to face!”

His father, Masaru (78), cherishes the card.

“My son said,“ I'm late in bloom, ”but I was proud to see my efforts toward my dreams.

The way to an actor who was caught in fire and closed. Mr. Masa continues to wear a jacket that his son wore before his life.

While holding the jacket through the sleeves with both hands tightly, “I think it ’s the right size and I ’m a parent and child. When I wear this, I feel the smell and warmth of my son.” .

Sister's wallet

Sister Aiko Ueda (26 at that time) and Ayako (then 22), a sister who was tense. They were good sisters together to do anything.

A sister who was involved in a fire while working at a restaurant on the 4th floor. A 67-year-old mother says that when she meets two of them, she never leaves her head.

Mother: “The child below is cute, always sleeping, that she is likely to wake up. But she was told that she should be clothed up to her nose, and that she should never take the cloth, but that last child. I thought I had to put my face in me, so I took off my cloth and looked at it ... It was hard ... I still had her face stuck to my brain. "

The mother carries the two wallets that her sisters used together without facing their skin and faces the feeling of loss.

Mother: “While walking around town, I find people who are similar to my daughters and cry. If I live, I wonder if I will get married and have children.

“In fact, all 44 people were saved !?”

A Kabukicho building fire where a large amount of smoke spread at once. The lack of fire prevention measures was pointed out as the reason for the increased damage.

The fire doors near the entrances of each store were supposed to close automatically when a fire broke out, but they did not work properly because of cardboard, garbage bags, and beer cases.

In fact, the appraisal conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department showed that if the fire door was closed normally, all 44 people were saved.

Mr. Keizo Hatto, a former medical officer of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and a medical doctor, was assigned to the appraisal. Not only carbon monoxide, but also changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations were analyzed to determine how they affected the human body.

This time, based on detailed data every 20 seconds, Mr. Hatto and the data analysis company "Advanced Software" were used to reproduce it with CG.

Luggage and garbage bags were placed in front of the fire door, and in the situation when the door did not close, about 10 minutes after the fire, the level of consciousness and motor function declined, about 12 to 13 minutes later, Half of the people will be dead.

And about 15 minutes later, both the 3rd and 4th floors were all dead.

On the other hand, there was a big difference in the assumption that the fire door closed normally. About 20 minutes later, on the 4th floor, the level of consciousness and motor function decline, and serious symptoms appear after about 24 minutes, but it does not lead to death.

Approximately 29 minutes later, a part of the 3rd floor showed a decline in consciousness level and motor function, but this also did not result in death.

About 15 minutes after the fire brigade arrived. After about 20 minutes, water starts to be discharged on the 3rd floor, and after about 30 minutes, the store is on the 3rd floor.

In other words, if the fire door was closed normally, all 44 people were saved.

Mr. Hattori who gave the appraisal analyzes this.

Mr. Hattori: “We analyzed oxygen concentration, but the concentration in the air was around 20%, and it was not enough to affect the human body. Changes in the concentration of carbon monoxide etc. Even if analyzed together, depending on the location, it may be difficult for one person to walk alone due to dizziness, reduced consciousness, and reduced motor function, but if you have a rescue team, you will be saved. In addition, the consciousness of judging things is not yet cloudy, so if the fire doors were closed, all the people inside were saved. "

Insufficient fire prevention system

Has the fire prevention system been improved now after 18 years? Accompanying the “Mobile Inspection Team” of the Tokyo Fire Department, which conducts on-site inspections of miscellaneous buildings 24 hours a day.

The reality is that whiteboards and containers are placed in front of the fire doors in the multi-purpose buildings. At other stores, there were some cases where a large amount of towels and garbage bags were placed on the stairs, causing fire spread.

Of the 394 miscellaneous buildings around Kabukicho that had been inspected during the four months from April to July, 144 violations were confirmed, accounting for nearly 40%.

It is said that the tenant's replacement is intense in the miscellaneous building, and the state where the violation does not disappear even if it is instructed continues.

Captain Motohiro Kato of the Shinjuku Fire Department Mobile Inspection Team says:

“The fire that killed 44 people will never happen again. Tenant replacements are fierce, but I would like to continue teaching.”

How to apply the lessons

Mr. Hatto who appraised that everyone was saved if the fire door was closed. I will point out that we are demanding how we can use our lessons.

Mr. Hatto: “I think it was unfortunate to think that everyone had died even though no one had died. In the case of a building, it is obliged to have an emergency exit on the outside stairs opposite the entrance. It is necessary to create a situation that physically supports people, etc. The lesson of fire must be reflected in the future society from the viewpoint of disaster prevention.

Would you like to check again whether there are any objects in front of the fire door or on the evacuation route of the stairs?

Regarding the Kabukicho building fire, the Metropolitan Police Department has been investigating the suspicion of arson. Please send any information you know.

News post

Please write "Kabukicho Building Fire" in the post.

Metropolitan Police Department Club Reporter
Fujita

Metropolitan Police Department Club Reporter
Atsumi Fujishima