Fire rips through popular restaurant district in Japan's Kitakyushu

A fire broke out on Wednesday in one of the oldest shopping districts in Fukuoka prefecture in Japan, with intense flames ravaging some historic buildings. It remained unclear whether anyone was injured. 

The fire occurred around 3.10 pm at Kitakyushu's Uomachi Gintengai, the 400-meter-long shopping street established in 1951.

More than 20 fire engines were being deployed, NHK reported.

Uomachi Gintengai is the first arcade shopping district in Japan and features yaki-udon restaurants and bakeries that attract long lines of customers daily.