Four people, including two children, died after a house caught fire in southwestern Japan early Monday, local media reported.
According to public broadcaster NHK, firefighters received a report at around 5:30am local time that white smoke was billowing from the second floor of a two-storey wooden house in Imari City, Saga Prefecture. Firefighters brought the blaze under control around 7am, preventing it from spreading to neighbouring buildings.
Police said they found two adults and two children unconscious inside the house and rushed them to hospital. Doctors pronounced all four dead shortly afterwards.
Police believe the victims were members of the family living in the house.
Authorities are working to confirm their identities while investigating the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
