Shuri Castle fire: Japan’s 500-year-old world heritage site reduced to skeleton by blaze

Firefighters battled for 10 hours in strong winds to contain fire

Japan's World Heritage-listed Shuri Castle was devastated by a fire on Thursday, reducing the 500-year-old landmark to a skeleton.

Firefighters battled the inferno for more than 10 hours before extinguishing the fire by Thursday afternoon.

It started just before 2:40am local time (17:40 GMT Wednesday) and it is unclear what might have triggered it. No injuries have been reported so far.

Mikiko Shiroma, mayor of Naha city – where the castle is located – told Japanese media: “The main hall has burned down and the castle’s dragon monuments have been blackened.

“This is truly regrettable.”

More than 100 firefighters were called but one police officer said they struggled to contain the blaze due to strong winds.

Speaking to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, the unidentified officer said: “The many wooden structures and the recently reapplied lacquer may have also had an effect.”

The wooden castle was originally built 500 years ago but was destroyed in World War II. The current structure is a reconstruction.

It also served as a campus for Okinawa’s largest public university until the 1970s and is a popular tourist destination.

The fire engulfed the tourist attraction in the middle of its annual mid-autumn festival.

A resident told the BBC that the castle is seen as 'god-like' (AP)

Shuri Castle was also a scheduled stop on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic torch relay route.

The city’s fire department said that while the castle had exterior sprinkler systems, its halls were not so equipped as this was not required under local fire codes.

Shuri Castle has been destroyed by fire several times, most recently in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

The wooden castle was painted bright red, enclosed by curved stone walls and sits on a hill overlooking Naha.

According to the BBC, one resident said the castle was seen as “god-like”.

Additional reporting by Reuters