A man started a fire at a Kyoto animation studio after spraying a liquid there Thursday morning, leaving multiple people dead and nearly 40 others injured, local police and rescuers said.

About 10 people were found lying unconscious on the second floor and were presumed dead, according to the police.

The fire started at around 10:30 a.m. at a three-story studio of Kyoto Animation Co., a company known for producing popular TV animation series “K-On!”, “Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu” (“The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”), “A Silent Voice,” “Clannad” and “Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon” (“Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid”).

The 41-year-old man who is believed to have set the fire was among the injured and has been taken to a hospital, the police said.

People near the site said they heard a series of explosions and saw a mass of black smoke coming out of the building. People were later seen being carried out of the site covered in blankets.

“A person with singed hair was lying down and there were bloody footprints,” said a 59-year-old woman living nearby.

“I heard a bang and the black smoke and the burning smell were awful,” said a hair salon manager in his 30s.

Kyoto Animation, also known as KyoAni, has animation studios in Kyoto and nearby Uji, where it is headquartered. The company, founded in 1981, has released a number of anime appealing to younger generations, particularly in the 2000s. Many fans have visited locations associated with the productions.

Japan Times

BDST: 1200 HRS, JUL 18, 2019
SI