WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Kyodo) -- A fire broke out in the Japanese Embassy in Washington late Monday night but was extinguished about one hour later, the embassy said Tuesday.
No one was hurt in the blaze, which broke out on the embassy's roof around 11:30 p.m. Monday, embassy officials said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. But embassy officials said they suspect coal tar used for the waterproofing of the embassy's roof is believed to have caught fire.
There were no signs of arson or a terrorist attack, the embassy officials said.
In May last year, a fire also broke out on the roof of the Japanese ambassador's official residence in Washington during a similar waterproofing procedure. The blaze was soon extinguished and Ambassador Ryozo Kato and others in the residence were unhurt.
