A tragic incident occurred in Hiroshima Prefecture, where a house fire led to the death of a 77-year-old man. The fire broke out on the evening of the 7th, engulfing the two-story wooden residence completely. Local police initiated a search starting on the 8th and 9th days, suspecting that the man may have left the house prior to the fire. Despite their efforts, they were unable to find any trace of him, and reports indicated that he had not been in contact with relatives.

One week later, on the evening of the 14th, relatives searching the rubble uncovered a body that was later confirmed to be that of the missing man through DNA testing. This oversight by the police, resulting in the family finder the body rather than the authorities, raises concerns about the effectiveness of search and rescue operations in similar scenarios. The police, while initially investigating the man's whereabouts, did not respond to inquiries after the discovery.

This incident sheds light on the potential issues in emergency response protocols in Japan, particularly in rural areas where resources may be limited. The community is left grappling with the tragic loss and questions regarding the adequacy of measures taken during searches for missing individuals following such disasters.