2 die in fire at LDP lawmaker's residence

A fire broke out Wednesday in the Tokyo apartment building where Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Kuniko Inoguchi lives with her family, and two unidentified bodies have been found at the scene, police said, noting that her husband and one of their daughters remain unaccounted for.

Four people were living in the 72-year-old House of Councillors member's residence and contact was made with Inoguchi and her other daughter, the metropolitan police said.

Inoguchi's husband, Takashi, 80, is a professor emeritus of politics and international relations at the University of Tokyo.

A report was made after 7 p.m. that a fire had started at the six-story apartment building in Bunkyo Ward of the Japanese capital.

More than 30 firetrucks and other emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene, located in an area lined with apartment buildings and houses, about 500 meters north of Tokyo Dome.

The fire was subdued before 1 a.m. Thursday.

Inoguchi was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005 after being a professor at Sophia University. She served as minister in charge of addressing the declining birthrate and promoting gender equality.

She has been a member of the House of Councillors since 2010 and is currently in her third term.

© KYODO