Suspected arson attack on Japanese animation studio in Kyoto leaves several dead
- Several people died and dozens more have been injured in a fire at an animation studio in the Japanese city of Kyoto
- Authorities say that at least 38 people have been injured, some critically, after a man started a fire at a famous animation production studio
- The fire started at 10.30 local time on Thursday and was burning two hours later, with news outlets reporting several fatalities
- The suspect, who was injured, has been arrested but a motive is as yet unclear
Several people died and dozens have been injured in a fire at an animation studio in western Japan.
Authorities say that at least 38 people have been injured, some critically, after a man started a fire at a famous animation production studio in Uji, a suburb of Kyoto.
Kyoto prefectural police say the fire broke out on Thursday morning at a three-story building of Kyoto Animation after a man burst in and spread unidentified liquid that set off the blaze.
Several people died and dozens have been injured in a fire which was started deliberately at an animation studio in western Japan. Smoke is seen billowing from the three-story building of Kyoto Animation
The suspect, who is also understood to be injured and his in his forties, was arrested by police and has reportedly admitted to the crime, according to local reports. His motive has yet to be established.
‘At least one unidentified person was confirmed dead,’ a fire department spokesman told AFP, adding that 37 others were hurt including 10 in a serious condition.
Police told public broadcaster NHK that several people died in the fire but could not give an exact number, according to its website.
The fire department said it began receiving calls around 10.35 am local time about the fire at the studio belonging to Kyoto Animation. The blaze was still burning two hours later.
‘Callers reported having heard a loud explosion from the first floor of Kyoto Animation and seeing smoke,’ a fire department spokesman said.
An aerial view shows firefighters battling the fires at the site where a man started a fire after spraying a liquid, at a three-story studio of Kyoto Animation Company in Kyoto
Rescue officials cordoned off the area as the fire department tackled the blaze on Thursday
Fire fighters inspect an animation company which caught fire in Kyoto on Thursday
He said the fire department had dispatched 35 fire engines and other fire-fighting vehicles to the site.
Police said they were treating the fire as a suspected arson.
‘A man threw a liquid and set fire to it,’ a Kyoto prefectural police spokesman told AFP. NHK said the suspect had been taken to hospital after suffering injuries in the fire.
Footage shot from public broadcaster NHK’s helicopter showed smoke and fire damage on all of the buildings three floors.
Kyoto Animation was founded in 1981 and has around 160 employees. The company is understood to have offices in Tokyo and Kyoto, as well as a subsidiary Animation Do in Osaka.
Rescue officials set up a tent outside the building to provide first aid and help the injured. Kyoto Animation Studios are based in Uji, a suburb of Kyoto, (as seen on a map above)
Its productions are extremely popular among fans of anime, which is a style of Japanese animation with colorful graphics and fantasy themes. Pictured is a graphic from ‘The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya’
Its productions are extremely popular among fans of anime, which is a style of Japanese animation with colorful graphics and fantasy themes.
The company has made numerous features and TV Series, including ‘The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya’ and ‘K-ON!.’
It is also responsible for producing Violet Evergarden: The Movie and a series of anime movies called Sound! Euphonium.
‘We are in the process of learning what happened,’ said a woman who answered the phone at the firm’s headquarters in Uji City in the Kyoto region.
‘We cannot tell you anything more,’ she added. News of the arson attack went viral on social media, with many people saying their thoughts were with the victims.
Kyoto Animation was established by Yoko Hatta and her husband, Hideaki Hatta, in 1981. The majority of the studio’s work takes place in the building that was set alight.