Flaming barges disrupt Yokohama fireworks event
Image courtesy of Kyodo News
A fire broke out aboard two fireworks launch barges during the Minato Mirai Smart Festival in Yokohama, near Tokyo, on Monday (4 August 2025) night, forcing crew members to jump into the sea.
According to Japan’s Coast Guard, five crew members aboard one of the eight barges used to launch fireworks were rescued after the vessel caught fire within roughly 20 minutes after the display began at 7:30 pm. One of the crew members was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The fire also spread to a second barge, which was uncrewed.
Reports from local media and police confirm that a malfunction in the fireworks launch system triggered the fire, with the system being “out of control.”
The event’s organising committee had planned to launch approximately 20,000 fireworks in 25 minutes, but the show was quickly forced to be cancelled after the fire broke out.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the system failure.
