Overview

• At around 7:50 p.m. on Monday, two of eight fireworks barges caught fire off Yokohama’s Minato Mirai waterfront due to a malfunction in the launch machinery.
• Five workers jumped into the sea to escape; all were rescued by the coast guard, with one worker sustaining minor injuries.
• The festival’s 25-minute fireworks display featuring about 20,000 shells was canceled immediately after the blaze broke out.
• Investigations by local police and the Third Regional Coast Guard Headquarters are ongoing to determine how control was lost over the fireworks platforms.
• Organizers have pledged a thorough internal review of safety protocols for marine-based fireworks events.