Forest fires in Japan - thousands evacuated

The fires have been burning for about two days in the Iwate region and are now approaching the city of Otsuchi, according to local authorities.

Over 700 people are working to fight the fires, which have spread over an area equivalent to at least 400 hectares.

The increasingly dry winters in the area are believed to have increased the risk of forest fires. A fire that broke out around the city of Ofunato in Iwate last year was the worst in Japan in more than half a century, according to AFP.