Elderly couple perish in Hokkaido house fire

A 90-year-old man and his 84-year-old wife died in a fire that destroyed their home in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, on Thursday night.

According to police and firefighters, flames were seen coming from the house at around 7:30 p.m. by a neighbor who called 119.

It took firefighters about two hours to extinguish the blaze, local media reported. The two-story wooden home was completely destroyed. The two bodies were found on the first floor. They were identified as Hiroshi Miyamoto and his wife Miyoko.

The couple lived with their son and his wife who were not at home on Thursday night.

© Japan Today