Japan Shuri castle fire: blaze engulfs ancient world heritage site

Fire spread quickly through 600-year-old site dating back to Ryukyu kingdom in Okinawa

A fire has swept through a historic castle on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa , destroying much of a structure that had come to symbolise the ancient Ryukyu kingdom and the island’s recovery from the second world war.

Flames engulfed Shuri castle, a Unesco world heritage site located in the island’s capital Naha, at around 2:40 am and quickly spread to other buildings in the complex, local police said.

#BREAKING:
Fire breaks out at #ShuriCastle in #Japan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which dates back to the 14th century as the palace of the #Ryukyu Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/yyPiYMNEVy

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