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Pentagon confirms explosion at US military base in Japan Pentagon confirms explosion at Sagami US military depot in Japan
(about 2 hours later)
The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that an explosion had occurred at a US military base in Japan. No injuries were reported.The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday that an explosion had occurred at a US military base in Japan. No injuries were reported.
Video posted to YouTube appeared to show the explosion, which a Department of Defense spokesman later said happened just after midnight local time “at a building on a US army post, the Sagami Depot in the city of Sagamihara … about 25 miles southwest of Tokyo”. Video posted to YouTube appeared to show the explosion. A Department of Defense spokesman later said the blast happened just after midnight local time “at a building on a US army post, the Sagami Depot in the city of Sagamihara … about 25 miles southwest of Tokyo”.
In the statement emailed to the Guardian, commander Bill Urban added: “There are no reports of injury, and base firefighters and first responders are currently fighting the resulting fire to prevent its spread to nearby buildings.” In the statement emailed to the Guardian, navy commander Bill Urban added: “There are no reports of injury, and base firefighters and first responders are currently fighting the resulting fire to prevent its spread to nearby buildings.”
The Sagami depot is home to the 35th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, concerned with army supply and logistics. In Japan, the 35th assisted in recovery and aid efforts after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The Sagami depot is home to the 35th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, concerned with army supply and logistics including the management of chemicals and ammunition.
The Pentagon said further information would be provided as it was acquired. The local fire department said it received a call just after midnight of an explosion at a US army depot where it said “dangerous material” was stored, and sent firefighters.
It added that the fire had subsided and there was no danger of it spreading. The cause of the fire was not immediately known, the fire department said.
A US army spokesman subsequently told Reuters the building where the explosion occurred did store any hazardous material.
“The building that exploded was not a hazardous material storage facility,” said Lieutenant Kevin Toner. “We are in the process of determining the contents of the building. The depot does not store ammunition or radiological materials.”
Toner added that no troops lived at the depot, which is the workplace of an estimated 200 personnel.
In Japan in 2011, the 35th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion assisted in recovery and aid efforts after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.