Explosion at the US Army's Sagami General Depot in Tokio
The explosion at the US Army's Sagami General Depot in the city of Sagamihara yesterday, some 40 km south-west of Tokyo, sent sparks shooting into the sky but there were no reports of injuries.
Japanese and US base firefighters delayed battling the fire while the contents of the building were assessed. Witnesses said they initially feared it was a bomb blast.
The explosion at the depot - which occupies about 200ha and employs nearly 600 people - rattled the windows of nearby buildings.
The fire died out on its own some hours later. The Pentagon said the building did not store ammunition or "radiological materials".