 An explosion tore through a building in downtown Tokyo on July 3rd, scattering debris across a busy intersection and sending smoke into the air. According to the public broadcaster NHK, the fire was soon contained and only four people suffered light injuries. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear, but witnesses said that they saw flames through the windows of the shattered second floor of the building and smelled gas. There was a really loud explosion at 2.40 pm. I ran outside and saw furniture and shards of glass scattered everywhere, and when I looked up, smoke was surging upwards, said Shinobu Nakagawa, a 26-year-old restaurant worker who works on the first floor of the building. The area where the explosion occurred is near a railway station and packed with bars and restaurants popular with office workers. There are many restaurants in this area. We also use gas in our store, so I think we have to be careful with it. It's really dangerous and scary, said Shigetoshi Yano, a 55-year-old staff who works in a nearby karaoke store.