According to JR East, services on the Keihin Tohoku Line and the Tokaido Line were suspended for about three hours after the fire broke out shortly past 10 a.m.

Due to the fire, a Keihin Tohoku Line train was stopped between Omori and Kamata stations and about 800 passengers on board were guided along the tracks to the nearest railroad crossing, JR East said.

According to police and fire authorities, the fire broke out at the building, which houses a ramen shop. Sounds of explosions were also reported, they said, adding that they were looking into the cause of the fire.

A man in his 20s suffered injuries in the fire but was able to speak when taken to a hospital, they said.

The fire was under control after about 2½ hours, but it also burned part of an adjacent building, NHK reported.

A man in his 40s who lives nearby told NHK that he saw smoke coming out of the ramen shop building and heard explosions twice. “I’ve never seen a fire this big and I was scared. I saw some children crying,” the man said.

A couple in their 60s who were on the stopped train told NHK that they heard an announcement that there was a fire near the train line, and the passengers were guided to use ladders to step out of the train and onto the track. There was no big confusion or panic, they said.

MNA/PR