Explosion at Nippon Steel plant in northern Japan sparks fire
2 Min Read
An explosion at Nippon Steel's Hokkaido plant sparks a major fire. The incident comes months after a controversial US Steel acquisition deal.
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The aftermath of an explosion at a Nippon Steel facility in Japan on November 30, 2025. (Social media)
An explosion at a Nippon Steel facility on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido triggered a fire late Monday night, according to reports from Kyodo News. The incident reportedly occurred in a blast furnace within the plant.
Fourteen fire units, comprising 46 firefighters, were dispatched to the scene. As of the latest update, the fire has not yet been extinguished. No casualties have been reported so far.
According to NHK, an #explosion occurred at a steel mill of Nippon Steel Corporation in Muroran City, #Japan, in the early morning of December 1st local time, which was immediately followed by a large-scale #fire. pic.twitter.com/Ep1nYACRTP
— Wonderful Henan (@HenanWonderful) December 1, 2025
Nippon Steel has been in the global spotlight due to its high-profile attempt to acquire US Steel. The Japanese steelmaker initially announced its $14.1 billion acquisition plan in December 2023, aiming to make US Steel a subsidiary.
However, the deal faced political and regulatory pushback in the United States. Then-President Joe Biden blocked the acquisition in January 2025, citing national security concerns. US Steel CEO David Burritt criticised the move, calling it politically motivated.
In May 2025, President Donald Trump reversed Biden’s decision, approving the deal under a revised partnership framework. The new agreement preserves 100,000 US jobs, grants the US government a "golden share" with veto power over management decisions, and requires Nippon Steel to invest $11 billion in the United States by 2028. The deal also passed antitrust scrutiny.
