A fire at a Daihatsu Motor Co. factory in Shiga Prefecture killed one worker and injured two others.
Police said the fire broke out Saturday during maintenance of ducts and an aluminum furnace at the Daihatsu casting plant. The cause of the fire, which was extinguished five hours later after damaging about one-tenth of the factory complex, is under investigation.
A man from a maintenance company died, while his colleague suffered serious burns and a Daihatsu employee suffered minor burns. Other workers were rescued safely, police said.
Daihatsu said it was not immediately known if or how the damage would affect its production. Company officials were not available for comment.