TOKYO, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Three bodies were found after a house fire in the east of Tokyo early Sunday, and police were working to confirm their identities, local media reported.
The fire broke out shortly after 3 a.m. local time in Mutsuzawa, Chiba Prefecture, at a house where six family members lived, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing the police and local fire department.
The house was destroyed by the blaze, which was extinguished in about five hours. Two bodies were initially discovered in the ruins, and a third was later found during search efforts.
Following the fire, two elementary school girls and their grandmother in her 60s remained unaccounted for. Authorities believe the three bodies may be those of the missing family members.
The girls' grandfather, in his 70s, and their mother, in her 30s, were injured and taken to hospital. Both were conscious at the time of transport, police said. The father was reportedly out at the time of the fire. ■