TOKYO, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A fire that burned three houses early Wednesday morning in Japan's western prefecture of Hiroshima has left three people dead and four others unaccounted for, local media reported.
The local fire department received an emergency call shortly after 3:30 a.m. local time reporting that "a building is on fire" in Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Nine fire engines responded to the blaze, which was extinguished about four and a half hours later. One two-story house was destroyed, and the fire also spread to two nearby homes, the report said.
Police are working to confirm the victims' identities while investigating the cause of the fire. ■
