MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) — A fire early Thursday burned down structures at Shuri Castle on Japan's southern island of Okinawa, nearly destroying the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Firefighters were still battling the blaze a few hours after the fire started early Thursday and nearby residents were evacuated to safer areas, Okinawa police spokesman Ryo Kochi said.
The fire in Naha, the prefectural capital of Okinawa, started from the castle's main structure. The main Seiden temple and a Hokuden structure, or north temple, have burned down. A third main structure Nanden, or south temple, was also burned down later.
Nobody has been injured. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
A fire department official in protective gear told reporters in a televised inter
