Fire drill held at rebuilt Shuri Castle hall before public opening
NAHA, Japan (Kyodo) -- A firefighting drill was held at the reconstructed main hall of Shuri Castle, a historical site in the southern Japanese prefec
On Saturday, a fire safety drill was conducted at the rebuilt main hall of Shuri Castle in Okinawa, Japan, in preparation for its public opening seven years after a devastating fire. Shuri Castle, once the heart of the Ryukyu Kingdom (1429-1879), had become a popular tourist destination following its reconstruction. The 2019 fire, which took around 11 hours to extinguish, caused extensive damage to the main hall and much of the castle complex.
During the drill, security personnel practiced using fire extinguishers, and firefighters arrived shortly thereafter to begin spraying water onto the blaze. Tsukasa Nakama, a representative from a local fire department in Naha, expressed optimism for the future of Shuri Castle, stating, "Let us work toward a safe and secure Shuri Castle."
An investigation panel, established by the Okinawa prefectural government, identified shortcomings in the initial firefighting response to the 2019 incident. The wooden main hall lacked sprinklers at the time, and fire trucks were unable to reach the site quickly. A commemorative ceremony for the restoration's completion is set for November 22, followed by the castle's opening to the public the day after.
The castle's history is marked by destruction during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, leading to its partial rebuilding in 1992.
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