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A suspected arson attack at an animation production company in Japan killed 33 people and injured dozens more yesterday, after a man reportedly doused the building with flammable liquid and shouted “drop dead.”
As at press time, a motive for the apparent attack remained unclear hours after the blaze. If arson is confirmed, the attack will be among the deadliest criminal acts in decades in Japan, where violent crime is extremely rare.
The fire gutted the three-storey building in the city of Kyoto that housed Kyoto Animation, behind famous anime television productions. The incident sparked an outpouring of support from the industry and fans worldwide, including a viral fundraising campaign. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took to Twitter to express his horror. “It’s so dreadful that I’m lost for words,” he wrote. “I pray for those who passed away.” Police said they were still investigating the cause of the fire but that it was a suspected arson attack. “A man threw a liquid and set fire to it,” a Kyoto prefectural police spokesman told AFP. Public broadcaster NHK reported that a man had been detained in connection with the blaze and was later taken to hospital for treatment. He reportedly suffered serious injuries in the fire.
An online fundraiser organised by an American anime licensing firm had raised more than $420,000 by late Thursday night, and anime fans around the world were tweeting their support with the hashtag #KyoAniStrong and #PrayForKyoAni.
Late yesterday evening, a local fire department official said the toll stood at 33 dead. “Of the 33, two were found on the ground floor, 11 on the second and 20 on the third and also on the staircases that lead to the rooftop,” the official told AFP.
