TOKYO: A man shouted “die” as he doused an animation studio with fuel and set it ablaze in Japan on Thursday, public broadcaster NHK said, killing at least 33 people in the nation’s worst mass murder in nearly two decades.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the attack in the city of Kyoto -- the latest grisly killing in a nation widely known for its low crime rates -- “too appalling for words” and offered condolences.Police detained a 41-year-old man who shouted “die” as he poured what appeared to be petrol around the three-storey Kyoto animation building shortly after 10AM, public broadcaster NHK reported. 33 people were confirmed dead, an official for the Kyoto City Fire Department said.Fire engulfed the building and white and black smoke billowed from its charred windows. It was Japan’s worst mass killing since a suspected arson attack on a Tokyo building in 2001. A 47-year-old owner of a neighbourhood bar five minutes from the studio, Shiro Misaki, said he was driving nearby when he saw the thick smoke.Officers “were stopping traffic and it was really hazy with smoke”, he said. “Even after I got back to my restaurant, I could smell the smoke.” The prime minister said the cause was arson. -- AgenciesAPP adds: Pakistan Friday expressed heartfelt condolences to the people of Japan on the tragic incident in Kyoto resulted in loss of lives and also scores of injured."We stand by our Japanese friends in mourning and wish the injured quick recovery," Foreign Office Spokesman said in a tweet. Thirty-three people died as a man set on fire an animation studio in Kyoto.
07-20-2019, 05:40 PM
33 killed in arson attack on Japanese animation studio
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