3 unaccounted for after house fire in Japan's Hiroshima

TOKYO, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Three people remain unaccounted for after a fire broke out at a two-story house in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, on Wednesday night, local media reported.

A family of five lived in the house in the city of Fukuyama. The three missing are the mother, a son and a daughter, while the other two, the father and another son, sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital, Kyodo News reported, citing local police.

According to public broadcaster NHK, an emergency call was made at around 11:55 p.m. Eight fire engines were dispatched to the scene, and the fire was extinguished about three hours later, but the house was destroyed, the report said.

Police and firefighters are working to confirm the whereabouts of the three and are investigating the cause of the fire.