Categories: Latest News

Arson attack on Japan’s Kyoto Animation

The Kyoto Animation company in Kyoto, western Japan, on Thursday, suffered an arson attack shocking a nation in which extreme violence is very rare.

Police have confirmed the deaths of 16 people as well as a number of injuries. But the final death toll is likely to exceed 20.

Smoke billows from a three-story building of Kyoto Animation in a fire in Kyoto, western Japan, Thursday, July 18, 2019. Kyoto prefectural police said the fire broke out Thursday morning after a man burst into it and spread unidentified liquid and put fire.(Kyodo News via AP)

Emergency services in Kyoto City received a call about 10:35 a.m. local time Thursday reporting an explosion on the first floor of the studio. The blaze quickly spread across the whole of the three-story building.

As being reported by the local media reports said a man was seen inside the building spraying a flammable liquid, shouting, “Die!” and then igniting the fluid.

The man, 41, who was injured, is now in police custody. The man has reportedly admitted setting the fire. Multiple knives were found at the scene, but it is not known if they were his.

According to the Japanese public broadcaster NHK, the bodies of 12 people were found on the first and second floors.

According to the fire department, an additional 10 people found on the third floor and on the stairs were in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest.

As being reported, about 70 people were inside the building at the time of the blaze. About 30 are still unaccounted for, though that figure may include a dozen fatalities.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, took to social media to share grief and sympathy over the incident, which resulted in a public outpour of sentiments.

“Today, in the arson murder spree in Kyoto, there are many casualties. I’m speechless. I pray for the souls of those who have passed away. I would like to express my condolences to all of the injured and wish them a speedy recovery”, he tweeted.

Kyoto Animation, also known as KyoAn, has been in operation since 1981. The company is known for the production of high-quality animation. The famed production includes the TV series “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” and “K-On!” The studio’s series adaptation of the “Tsurune” novel, written by Kotoko Ayano, recently completed airing on NHK.