Blackout occurs in parts of Tokyo, some gov't buildings affected

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that power had been fully restored before 4 p.m. and the government was confirming the facts of the blackout, Kyodo reports.

Up to 350,000 households and buildings in a wide area of Tokyo including Nerima and Minato wards were affected by the power outage, which the utility said may have been caused by a fire at a facility in Niiza, near Tokyo.

Police and firefighters said smoke was detected at the facility around 2:55 p.m.

In the Kasumigaseki district, where many central government offices are located, lights went out temporarily at the Finance Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and other buildings.

Seibu Railway Co. suspended most train operations in the wake of the blackout, it said.

The utility said the problem was nearly resolved by around 4:30 p.m.

Source: Kyodo