At least 24 people died after a blaze destroyed a psychiatric clinic clinic in an office building in Osaka, Japan
Police reportedly believe it to be arson
The following written content from Siladitya Ray
At least 19 people confirmed dead and several others were critically injured on Friday in the Japanese city of Osaka after a fire broke out in a psychiatric clinic in a multi-story office building, in an incident that is now being investigated by police as a suspected case of arson.
According to public broadcaster NHK, rescuers pulled out 28 people from the building of whom 27 showed no signs of life—including the 19 people confirmed dead.
The fire broke out at around 10:30 am local time in a medical clinic which specializes in psychosomatic medicine and psychiatry and is located on the fourth floor of an eight-story multi-tenant building.
A man believed to be in his 60s was spotted inside the clinic holding a paper bag with liquid leaking from it, police sources told the public broadcaster.
Police suspect the fire was started deliberately and they are now investigating if the suspected arsonist was among the injured.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida offered his condolences and said authorities are working to determine the cause of the fire.
In 2019, 36 people were killed in an arson attack at an animation studio in Kyoto, Japan. The perpetrator of the attack entered the studio through its front door carrying 40 liters of petrol which he used to douse the area and several studio employees before igniting it. Prior to that in 2001, 44 people were killed in a fire that broke out in a commercial establishment in Tokyo. Police suspected the building, Myojo 56, had deliberately been set on fire by arsonist Read more from Forbes
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