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Fire breaks out on fireworks barge at Yokohama festival

A fire broke out on a fireworks launch barge during a festival in Yokohama near Tokyo on Monday night, prompting spectators to call emergency services after seeing smoke.

One of the barges used to launch fireworks caught fire and five workers on board were rescued after jumping into the sea, according to the coast guard. One was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The fire also spread to another barge, but it was without any people.

Local police said the event organizer reported a malfunction in the fireworks launch system, which went out of control. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

The event’s website said around 20,000 fireworks were scheduled to be launched over a 25-minute span from 7:30 p.m. The organizing committee apologized for the incident, pledging a thorough investigation into its cause.

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