Tokyo: A fire broke out at an elementary school in central Tokyo on Friday, prompting the safe evacuation or rescue of around 300 students and staff, officials said.

The Tokyo Fire Department said the blaze began near a music room on the top floor of the four-storey Takinogawa No. 3 Elementary School during the late morning hours.

Firefighters rescued one teacher and several students from the building. Authorities confirmed that those affected sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Television footage showed thick black smoke rising from windows on the fourth floor as firefighters battled the blaze. Dozens of fire engines were deployed to the scene to bring the fire under control.

Officials said all other students and staff inside the building at the time of the incident managed to evacuate safely to a nearby park before emergency crews arrived, and no one was left trapped inside.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.