Firefighters arrived late at deadly blaze because officials thought report was hoax

OMURA, Nagasaki -- Firefighters were delayed for over two minutes before being dispatched to battle a deadly blaze at a home for the elderly because a firefighter asked for confirmation that the report was not a hoax, it has been learned.

Officials said the firefighter requested reconfirmation because there had been a false report only two days earlier. Omura Fire Department officials apologized for the delay in attending the fire, which claimed the lives of seven victims.

"In a situation where minutes and seconds are vital, this is something that should not have happened. We are very sorry," a fire department representative said.

The firefighter who took the call after the fire broke out on Sunday said he had asked for the report to be confirmed because of the earlier false alarm.

The fire destroyed the Yasuragino Sato home for the elderly in Omura, Nagasaki Prefecture. Seven men and women aged between 69 and 92 died in the blaze.

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