Japan: Several Injured in Downtown Tokyo Blast

An explosion occurred at a building in Tokyo's Shimbashi business district on Monday, injuring four people, Japan's state media NHK reported.

The blast littered the streets with debris, smashed windows, and sent smoke into the air.

The fire broke out in a building in a busy restaurant area around 3:20 am local time (0620 UTC). Shimbashi is known as a commercial and entertainment district in central Tokyo.

Local media reported that the police rushed to the site after receiving an emergency call.

"The sound was deafening. It was as if something huge was dropped from the top of the building — it was an incredible bang," an eyewitness told NHK.

"Pieces of paper were scattered all over at the nearby intersection. From the way they were scattered, I immediately knew it was an explosion," he added.

Footage broadcast by NHK showed flames in shattered second-floor windows of a building, while some witnesses said they smelled gas before hearing an explosion.

"A total of 32 fire trucks are at the scene," a fire department spokesperson said.

"Four people are injured, three of whom are conscious," he said. He added that no details were available yet on the fourth person.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.