However, some of the wives escaped, including that of Kiyomasa KATO, and moreover, Garasha HOSOKAWA, who was Tadaoki HOSAKAWA's official wife and Mitsuhide AKECHI's daughter, refused to be taken as a hostage and committed suicide by setting fire to her residence, which resulted in her tragic death; therefore, the operation was deemed a failure and stopped.
しかし加藤清正の妻をはじめとする一部には脱出され、さらに細川忠興の正室・細川ガラシャ（明智光秀の娘）に人質となることを拒絶され屋敷に火を放って死を選ぶという壮烈な最期を見せられて、人質作戦は中止された。