Man shouting ‘You die’ kills nearly 30 at Japan anime studio

A man screaming “You die!” burst into an animation production studio in Kyoto, Japan, and set it on fire on Thursday, authorities said, leaving nearly 30 people confirmed or presumed de, shocking anime fans in and outside Japan.

Most of de and 36 injured were workers at Kyoto Animation, kwn for mega-hit stories featuring high school girls, with places featured in stories even becoming “pilgrim sites” for ir fans.

fire started in three-story building in Japan’s ancient capital after suspect sprayed an unidentified liquid accelerant, Kyoto prefectural police and fire department officials said. Japanese media reported fire might have been set near front door, forcing people to find or exits and possibly delaying ir escape.

So far, 20 people were confirmed de, including 12 on first and second floors, and eight more on third floor, Kyoto fire department official Mikihide Daikoku said. Nearly 10 ors found on top floor were presumed de, he said. Some were found on stairs, where y apparently collapsed while gasping for air and trying to go out to roof.

Some of injured people were in critical condition. Officials said firefighters were still searching inside building in case anyone else was left behind.

Kyoto police said suspect was injured and taken to a hospital for treatment. y are investigating man, who is 41 and t a company employee, on suspicion of arson, police said.

A witness who saw suspect being approached by police told Japanese networks that man mitted spreing gasoline and setting a fire with a lighter. She told NHK public television that man h burns on his arms and legs and that he was angrily complaining that something of his h been “stolen,” possibly by company. NHK foot also showed sharp knives police h collected from scene, though it was t clear if y belonged to suspect.

RE | Suspected Arson In Japan Anime Studio Leaves Up To 13 De

Survivors who saw attacker said he was t ir colleague and that he was screaming ”(You) die!” when he dumped liquid and started fire, according to Japanese media. y said some of survivors got splashed with liquid.

Kyoto Animation, better kwn as KyoAni, was founded in 1981 as an animation and comic book production studio, and its hits include “Lucky Star,” ″K-On!” and “Haruhi Suzumiya.” company does t have a major presence outside Japan, though it was hired to provide secondary animation work on a 1998 “Pokemon” feature that appeared in U.S. aters and a “Winnie Pooh” video.

“Why on earth did such violence have to be used?” company president Hideki Hatta asked, as he condemned attack. Hatta said his company has received anymous death threats by emails in past but responded “sincerely” each time, though he was t linking m to Thursday’s attack.

Anime fans expressed anger, prayed and mourned for victims at Kyoto Animation on social networks. A cloud-funding site also started up to help company rebuilt.

Witnesses said y heard bangs coming from building, ors said y saw people coming out blackened, bleeding, walking barefoot, Kyodo News reported. Rescue officials set up an orange tent outside studio building to provide first aid and sort injured.

“re was an explosion, n I heard people shouting, some asking for help,” a female witness told TBS TV. “Black smoke was rising from windows on upper floors, n re was a man struggling to crawl out of window.”

Fire department officials said more than 70 people were in building at time of fire and many of m ran outside.

death toll exceeded a 2016 mass killing in which a man stabbed and killed 19 people at an assisted living facility in western Tokyo.

A fire in 2001 in Tokyo’s congested Kabukicho entertainment district killed 44 people in Japan’s worst kwn case of arson in modern times. Police never anunced an arrest for setting blaze, though five people were convicted of negligence. In 2008, 16 people died in a blaze at a movie ater in Osaka, near Kyoto.

RE | Fire Breaks Out At Jabalpur High Court In Mhya Presh, Fire Tenders On Spot