Kyoto Animation fire: At least 33 dead in arson attack by man yelling ‘you die’

Suspect doused building with 70 workers inside in unidentified liquid before setting it alight, officials say

At least 33 people have died after a man burst into a Japanese animation studio and shouted ”you die” before starting a fire, according to officials.

Police say the blaze broke out at the three-storey Kyoto Animation Company studio after a man sprayed an unidentified liquid accelerant around the building at about 10.30 local time [GMT 02.30] on Thursday.

Japanese media reported the fire might have been set near the front door, forcing people to find other ways out.

Survivors said the suspect screamed “you die” as he dumped the liquid, which some people were splashed with, according to Japanese media.

Thirty-three people have now been confirmed dead, and a fire official said no one else was believed to be missing.

Firefighters found 20 bodies on the third floor, two were found dead on the first floor, and 11 others on the second floor. Some survivors were found on the stairs to the roof, where they had collapsed.

A further 36 people were injured, including the suspect who was taken to hospital.

Police identified him only as a 41-year-old man who was not a company employee.

Most of the victims were said to be employees of Kyoto Animation, also known as KyoAni.

The incident is believed to be Japan’s worst mass killing since a suspected arson attack on a Tokyo building in 2001 which killed 44 people.

Offering his condolences to the victims, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said the fire was “too appalling for words”.

A witness who saw the attacker being approached by police told Japanese networks that the man admitted spreading petrol and starting the fire with a lighter.

She told NHK national television that the man had burns on his arms and legs and was angrily complaining that something of his had been “stolen”, possibly by the company.

The witness also told the Kyodo news agency that his hair got singed and his legs were exposed because his jeans were burned below the knees. “He sounded [like] he had a grudge against the society, and he was talking angrily to the policemen, too, though he was struggling with pain. He also sounded [as though] he had a grudge against Kyoto Animation.”

NHK footage also showed sharp knives police had collected from the scene, although it was not clear if they belonged to the attacker.

An online fundraiser launched by Sentai Filmworks, which distributes KyoAni productions around the world, has already raised more than £190,000 for the company.

Footage on NHK showed grey smoke billowing from the charred building.

Residents in the area reported hearing what sounded like an explosion before they saw the smoke, according to the broadcaster.

A 59-year-old woman living nearby told Kyodo: “A person with singed hair was lying down and there were bloody footprints.”

Fire department officials said more than 70 people were in the building at the time of the arson attack, but most of them ran outside.

Kyoto Animation was founded in 1981 as an animation and comic book production studio.

The company does work on films and TV productions, but is best known for its mega-hit stories featuring high school girls. The tales are so popular that fans make pilgrimages to some of the places depicted.

Company president Hideaki Hatta said: “My heart is in extreme pain. Why on earth did such violence have to be used.”

Associated Press contributed to this report.