A fire erupted on the fourth floor of Takinogawa Dai-san Elementary School in northern Tokyo’s Kita Ward late Friday morning, prompting the immediate evacuation of the entire school population. Japanese authorities confirmed that all students and staff — numbering approximately 300, according to the Tokyo Fire Department — were safely accounted for, with some rescued by ladder from a concrete ledge outside upper-floor windows.

According to the Tokyo Fire Department and metropolitan police, the blaze originated in a music room around 11 a.m. and was largely brought under control within an hour, having consumed roughly 200 square metres. Firefighters rescued one teacher and three pupils who had been unable to exit the building, while the remainder of the school community evacuated independently to a nearby park. Television footage showed thick black smoke pouring from top-floor windows as emergency crews directed water jets from the school’s playing field.

Reports on the number of injured vary. The Tokyo Fire Department, cited by Japanese news agency Jiji Press, stated that 10 people — mainly children — were transported to hospital, all conscious. Injuries included one pupil who sustained a bone fracture while evacuating, seven others treated for smoke inhalation or other minor injuries, and two teachers also hurt. Other accounts, drawing on public broadcaster NHK and the AFP news agency, described at least one person hospitalised, with a teacher injured and several children suffering smoke inhalation. No fatalities have been reported.

The school, located approximately 500 metres south of JR Oji Station, serves around 340 students. Police and fire investigators are examining the cause of the fire, with initial information suggesting a burning smell had been detected in a room used to store musical instruments before flames became visible. The investigation remains ongoing.