A HUSBAND and wife have died after being trapped in a private Sauna during a horror fire.
Investigators found the facility’s alarm system in Tokyo, Japan, was switched off, and allegedly had been for the past two years.
Police are investigating whether a faulty doorknob trapped the terrified couple inside the room at Sauna Tiger.
The victims have been named as Yoko Matsuda, 37, and her husband Masanari, 36.
“We offer our deepest condolences… and our heartfelt sympathies for the deep grief and pain that cannot be expressed in words,” Sauna Tiger said in a statement.
The fire department was initially called to the scene at around 12:25 local time on Monday, when the facility’s fire alarm went off.
When they arrived, the sauna’s doorknob was on the floor.
The emergency services then discovered the couple collapsed on the floor on top of each other, with their heads near the door.
They were quickly rushed to hospital, but later died of their injuries.
The man was found to have suffered burns on both shoulders and across his body, while his wife suffered burns on her right shoulder.
An autopsy returned inconclusive results regarding the cause of death, though it is thought the couple may have died from their burns or hyperthermia.
A burnt towel was reportedly found inside the sauna.
The police believe the fire may have been caused by the towel touching hot sauna stones.
It is thought the fire then spread to the bench and walls, which were charred in the aftermath.
The sauna did had an alarm system installed in the event of emergency, but investigators found it had been switched off.
Tragically, the alarm’s cover had been removed, indicating the couple had likely been desperately pressing it to call for help.
The police added when staff at the facility were questioned, they allegedly revealed the device had been switched off “since around 2023”.
The Minato Public Health Centre told a local media outlet the sauna had been in operation since July 2022.
The sauna’s last inspection was back in April 2023, when “no major deficiencies [were] found in the equipment”.
In its statement, Sauna Tiger said it was taking the incident “very seriously,” reiterating its commitment to fully cooperating with the fire department”.
It added it would be “closed for the time being” and offered refunds to customers with reservations.
Japan has seen a rise in sauna use since the Pandemic – though a rise in sauna-related incidents has prompted calls for greater industry regulation.
