Death of a couple in Tokyo: emergency alarm in sauna had not worked for years.

According to ТСН: In a prestigious area of Tokyo, an ordinary vacation turned into a fatal incident for a young couple. They became trapped in a private sauna during a fire, and the emergency alarm had not worked for several years.

37-year-old nail artist Yoko Matsuda and her 36-year-old husband Masanari, the owner of a beauty salon, rented the sauna at Sauna Tiger, located in the Akasaka district. Rescuers found the couple unconscious on the floor after the fire, their heads near the door. After hospitalization, both died.

Circumstances of the tragedy

The police are investigating the theory that a faulty door handle may have caused the tragedy, preventing the couple from escaping to the street. Investigations showed that the emergency alarm in the sauna, including the panic button, had been turned off for about two years.

“We express our deepest condolences… and sincerely empathize with the grief and pain that cannot be expressed in words,” said a statement released on the Sauna Tiger website.

Authorities also found a charred towel in the sauna, which may indicate that the fire ignited from contact with heated stones. Additionally, the protective cover from the panic button was removed, suggesting possible attempts by the couple to use it to call for help.

Safety issues

The facility's staff admitted that the alarm had not been working “since approximately 2023.” The Minato District Public Health Center reported that the sauna began operating in July 2022 and underwent its last inspection in April 2023. At that time, “no significant deficiencies in the equipment were found.”

In its final statement, Sauna Tiger emphasized that it takes the incident “extremely seriously” and “fully cooperates with the fire department investigation.” The facility announced a temporary suspension of operations and promised to refund customers with reservations.

This tragedy highlights serious safety issues in public facilities. The lack of proper checks on safety systems can lead to fatal consequences, as occurred in this case. Authorities now need to more closely monitor compliance with safety standards to prevent similar incidents in the future.