Blast at U.S. Army depot in Japan lights up night sky

TOKYO -- An explosion at a U.S. Army depot outside of Tokyo set off a large blaze that lit up the night sky early Monday morning, but there were no reports of injuries.

The blast happened after midnight at the Sagami Depot in Sagamihara, a city about 25 miles southwest of Tokyo, Pentagon duty officer Navy Commander Bill Urban said.

Video on Japanese television, apparently shot from an elevated place outside the post around 12:45 a.m., shows a fire in the distance and subsequent explosions shooting small fiery blasts into the sky. A woman told national broadcaster NHK that it sounded like fireworks.

A statement issued by the Army in Japan said there are no indications of injuries, and the cause of the explosion is unknown. The building was not a hazardous materials storage facility, and the depot does not store ammunition or radiological materials, the statement said.

About 580 people work at the 500-acre depot, NHK said.

Base firefighters and first responders were fighting the fire to prevent its spread to nearby buildings, Urban said.

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• Tokyo
• Explosion