33 people were killed while dozens are injured after an unidentified arsonist set the
According to the New York Times, the incident happened at around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday when the suspect, a 41-year-old man, spread liquid around the building before setting it on fire.
There were about 70 people who were inside the building at the time of the incident, the report noted.
The man had burst the building and was heard screaming “You die!” as said by AP News. The suspect then tried to escape, but collapsed on the street and was later captured by the studio’s staff.
Firefighters found more than 10 people presumed dead on top floor of the building, BBC reported. Some of the people found had collapsed on the stairs on the way to the roof.
About 36 people are currently in the hospital, with some in critical condition.
Makoto Shinkai, director of the hit anime movie “Your Name,” shared his words of support on Twitter and wrote as translated by the New York Times: “Everyone at Kyoto Animation, please please stay safe.”
“Today, we had many casualties in a fatal arson attack that happened in Kyoto,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said in his Twitter post. “It is so horrifying that I am at a loss for words. I’d like to express my deepest condolences to the victims. I offer my thoughts to those who have been wounded and pray for their recovery, by even one day.”
Kyoto Animation is known for producing many iconic and popular shows and movies including “Clannad,” “Full Metal Panic,” “K-On,” and “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.”
Featured image screenshot via YouTube / ANNnewsCH
