23 feared dead in suspected arson at Japanese anime studio

Thirteen people were killed and another 10 are presumed dead after a man allegedly set an animation production studio in Japan on fire early Thursday morning, The Associated Press reported.

The AP noted that a witness told NHK public television in Japan that the man, who allegedly screamed “You die!” as he entered the building, complained about something being “stolen.” The witness added that he saw the suspect spreading gasoline in the building and lighting it on fire.

Thirteen bodies were found on the first and second floors of the building, a Kyoto fire department official told the AP. More than 10 people were found unresponsive on the third floor of the building, the news service added.

{mosads} Thirty-six people were injured, authorities said, adding that there were 70 people in the building at the time of the fire. 

Kyoto police said the suspect, a 41-year-old, was injured and taken to a hospital, according to the AP, which added that the man is not a company employee. He is reportedly being investigated on suspicion of arson.

Kyoto Animation, the production company, is a popular anime outlet with hits like “Lucky Star,” ″K-On!” and “Haruhi Suzumiya.”

In 2016, a man stabbed and killed 19 people at an assisted living facility in Tokyo in the worst mass killing in Japan, the AP reported.