A couple have died after becoming trapped inside a sauna room that had caught fire in Japan.
Emergency services were called at about 12.25pm on Monday (4.25pm Monday NZT) after a fire alarm was triggered at Sauna Tiger in Tokyo's Akasaka district.
Firefighters called to the scene found the doorknob to the private sauna room on the floor, the BBC reported. The pair were discovered collapsed near the door.
The couple – identified by local media as Yoko Matsuda, 37, and her 36-year-old husband Masanari Matsuda – died of their injuries in hospital.
Police said a burnt towel had been found inside the sauna, leading investigators to believe the fire may have started after the towel came into contact with hot sauna stones.
Police were now investigating whether the faulty doorknob prevented the pair's escape.
Investigators found that the room's emergency alarm system had its cover removed, indicating the couple were likely pressing it for help.
Staff told police the alarm system had been switched off around 2023.
In a statement to its website, Sauna Tiger said it was taking the incident "very seriously" and were "cooperating fully with the investigations by the fire department".
"We offer our deepest condolences... and our heartfelt sympathies for the deep grief and pain that cannot be expressed in words."
The company said it would remain closed until further notice.
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