A spectacular summer fireworks festival in Yokohama turns chaotic when two launch barges burst into flames on the evening of August 04, 2025. This forces workers at the barges to immediately jump into the sea.
Due to this unfortunate incident, the firework event has been cancelled and will be postponed.
Fire hit two barges among the eight that were being utilized to launch fireworks near Yokohama's waterfront, just south of Tokyo.
As reported by local media, five workers were on the barge that leapt into the water to escape the flames. All of them are safe now with one sustaining minor injuries. However, the second barge also caught fire but there were no men on board at that time.
The aerial footage captured the horrific scene where it is clearly seen that the pink and white fireworks exploded uncontrollably sending sparks in all directions.
The emergency crew quickly responded and suspended further planned operations of the event.
Initially, organizers planned to launch 20,000 fireworks over 25 minutes turning the night sky into a day with a spectacular firework show.
According to preliminary reports, the fire originated from a malfunction in the firework launch system which ultimately got out of control. However, local authorities including the police and the coastguard are further investigating.
The organizers of the festival issued an apology vowing to “thoroughly investigate” the cause.
Firework festivals are usually organized in late July to late August every year as part of the centuries-old tradition.
They are a beloved summer tradition in Japan that draws enormous crowds. The dress code of the fireworks event is yukata (light kimonos).
The spectators described the mishap as a mix of awe and alarm as the barges burned against the night sky.