Foam spilt onto a road in front of stunned drivers in Japan, causing confusion and briefly disrupting traffic.

Reports said the incident was caused when a car struck fire suppression equipment at a home appliance retailer in Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, on Wednesday afternoon, July 9.

The impact triggered the sprinkler system in the Yamada Denki Techland car park at around 1:30 pm, releasing a large quantity of firefighting foam onto the road.

Footage shows thick white soapy residue blanketing the street, with some drifting into the air amid busy traffic.

Vehicles were seen carefully navigating around the area to avoid the slippery surface.

No injuries were reported.

Emergency services urged anyone who may have inhaled the substance to gargle with clean water and to rinse their eyes thoroughly if exposed.

Authorities said the foam contains chemicals commonly used in fire extinguishing systems, such as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which is designed to suppress flammable liquid fires by forming a barrier between the fuel and oxygen.