On the 22nd, the fire that killed four elderly people in a condominium in Kobe City was found to be caused by a short circuit in the extension cord in the room as a result of a site inspection by the police.
The extension cord is likely to have deteriorated due to bending, etc., and the police are continuing to investigate the detailed situation.
In the early hours of the 22nd, a fire broke out in a three-story housing complex in Minato-cho, Hyogo-ku, Kobe, killing four elderly men living on the first floor and leaving two unconscious in critical condition.
As a result of the police's on-site inspection, it was found that the extension cord in the corner room on the south side of the first floor, where the fire was the most intense, shorted out and the fire appeared to have started.
There were several burnt marks on the tatami where the cord was located, indicating a short circuit, and there was a table with casters nearby.
The police said that it is highly likely that the extension cord was stepped on by the legs of the table and bent and deteriorated, resulting in a short circuit.
The 86-year-old man in this room was a wheelchair user who was found dead in the hallway just outside the room after the fire and died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The police are continuing to investigate the situation in detail, as there are many elderly men living alone in this apartment complex, and there are multiple people with physical disabilities living on the first floor.