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The Taiyo Department Store fire was a fire at the Taiyo Department Store, a department store in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The fire started at 1:15 p.m. on November 29, 1973; 103 people died. After the fire, regulations pertaining to the construction of buildings were strengthened, one of which mandated external stairs on highrise buildings. The Taiyo Department Store had a basement floor and nine stories. Some areas were under construction. It was the most popular department store in Kumamoto City at that time.〔Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun(newspaper) articles (1973) Concerining various fire stories.〕 ==Description== The fire started on the platform of steps between the second and third floors, on which goods were placed. The cause of the fire was never determined. The fire sprinkler system did not work because of ongoing construction work. The fire was televised live and it was reported that the smoke, which was in various colors and odors, was poisonous. Many people were saved from the rooftop of the store. Some people jumped to the ceiling of a nearby arcade under construction and were injured. There were a total of 100 fatalities. Among the department store employees, 10 men and 36 women died, as well as three part-time female workers and three male construction workers died. Among customers, 16 males and 32 females died. Causes of death included 70 deaths by carbon dioxide intoxication and 30 deaths by suffocation. Forty-three males and 77 females were injured. Seventy-one dead bodies were found: two on the third floor, 11 on the fourth floor, one on the fifth floor, 26 on the sixth floor, 30 on the seventh floor, and one on the eighth floor.〔Suefuji, S.(1985) The realities of department store fires and countermeasures. Ooitaken Igakukai Zasshi (Oita Prefecture Medical Association Journal) 3,1. (in Japanese) 〕 The fire was one of the deadliest department store fires in Japan. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「1973 Taiyo Department Store fire」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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