Eight people were injured early Tuesday following an explosion at a propane gas dealer's office in the city of Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, police said.
Among those injured by the 8:25 a.m. explosion were Shizumi Yamada, a 51-year-old employee who was working at the time, and Yukihiro Omae, 24, who lives in an adjacent apartment. All eight sustained light injuries such as burns or cuts from broken glass.
The blast, which destroyed the two-story building, temporarily disrupted services on the Izu Kyuko Line of Izukyu Corp. and caused minor damage to houses within a radius of about 50 meters.
The explosion occurred in a residential area about 150 meters southwest of Izu Kogen Station on the line.
Police quoted a female worker as saying she had ventilated the building after smelling gas. She said the building exploded after she lit the stove following the ventilation, according to police.
Police, who suspect a possible gas leak, asked residents living within a radius of 200 meters to evacuate after discovering a warehouse containing more gas containers near the building, which raised fears of a second explosion.