TOKYO, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out near one of the most popular restaurant districts in Kitakyushu city in Japan's southwestern prefecture of Fukuoka, with nearby residents urged to evacuate the area, public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday, citing local authorities.

Local fire department received multiple calls at around 15:10 local time saying that a building near the Torimachi Shokudo-gai caught fire, an area crowded with restaurants, NHK said.

Kono Ichiro, who witnessed the fire, said, "At first, only two houses were on fire and I thought the fire would be extinguished, but it looks like the entire Torimachi Shokudo-gai is on fire."

According to police, there are no reports of injuries so far, but they have asked nearby residents to evacuate.

As of 22:00 local time, about six and a half hours after the outbreak of the fire, firefighters are still working to extinguish the blaze, according to NHK.

Torimachi Shokudo-gai is said to be the first restaurant district built in Kitakyushu city after the war, according to NHK. Enditem

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