TOKYO, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed in a fire that gutted an apartment building in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in southwestern Japan, local media said Monday.
Five other men were taken to a hospital and treated for smoke inhalation among other injuries, but their conditions were described as non-life threatening, according to local reports.
Firefighters were initially alerted to there being a fire on the roof of the building, which took them four hours to extinguish, local media said.
Firefighters there said that a wooden, two-story building and a neighboring house were severely damaged in the blaze.
According to police on the scene, each of the 16 apartments housed one resident, and six bodies so far have been recovered.
None of the victims have been identified yet.
Investigators said three other residents have been confirmed safe and two more are trying to be contacted.
First responders were called to the scene at 11:20 p.m. on Sunday and the blaze was put out at around 3:30 a.m. on Monday morning.
The residential building was located about 700 meters northwest of JR Minamikokura Station.
