TOKYO, July 3 (Reuters) - An explosion tore through a building in downtown Tokyo on Monday, scattering debris across a busy intersection and sending smoke into the air, but the fire was soon contained, Japanese media said. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear but witnesses said they had smelled gas before the explosion. [1/4]Rescuers work at the site of an apparent explosion near Shimbashi station in Tokyo, Japan July 3, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato"I'd just got to work and was starting preparations when there was a really loud explosion," said Shinobu Nakagawa, a 26-year-old restaurant worker, who works on the first floor of the building. The blast took place in an area near a railway station that is packed with bars and restaurants popular with office workers.

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Persons: Issei Kato, I'd, Shinobu Nakagawa, Elaine Lies, Gareth Jones, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: NHK, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Shinbashi, Japan