TOKYO, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- A fire destroyed a house near Tokyo on Monday, leaving three people dead, local media reported.

An emergency call was made at around 4:30 a.m. local time, reporting that a two-story wooden house located in a residential area in Saitama was on fire, Kyodo News reported, citing police and firefighters.

It took about three and a half hours to bring the fire under control, and no damage to neighboring homes was reported, according to the police.

It is believed that a family comprising a couple in their 50s and a man in his 80s were living in the building, the report said.

Police are seeking to confirm the identities of the bodies and the cause of the fire. ■