Major fire at ironworks in central Japan

A fire engulfed a steel plant in central Japan on Friday, days after a deadly blast hit another plant in the region. The incident occurred at the Nagoya ironworks of Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. in Tokai, Aichi prefecture, company officials said, but was brought under control a few hours later. "No one was injured," a company spokesman said. "The situation is still under investigation, but damage to the facility appeared limited." The spokesman said a power blackout hit the plant earlier in the day, which forced the company to "temporarily" burn coke gas so that it could be released from the facility. Television footage showed flames spreading around the facility, where some 3,000 employees are engaged in producing steel sheets and pipes. The accident came after an explosion killed at least five people and injured a dozen on January 9 at a chemical plant of Mitsubishi Materials, in Yokkaichi, also central Japan.