On July 18, well-renowned animation production studio – Kyoto Animation in Japan was allegedly set on fire, leaving nearly 33 people dead. The incident is considered to be the worst mass killing in the country after World War ll. The fire at the studio has shocked anime fans all around the world. The suspect is currently in hospital undergoing treatment.
The authorities said that the man screamed “You Die” before setting the building on fire. According to the official, the fire started in the three-storey building after the culprit sprayed petrol. The Japanese media reported that the fire was intentionally set at the entry point, delaying the escape of people stuck in the building.
According to the fire officials, 12 people were found dead on the first and second floors, eight more on the third floor, and ten on the top floor. Some bodies were found on stairs that tried to reach the roof but collapsed.
It took almost five hours for the firefighters to douse the flame. Around 70 people were present inside the building at the time of the fire, a fire official confirmed. The fire officials are still searching the building.
The Kyoto police who are in charge of the investigation said that the 41-year-old suspect was injured and taken to hospital. The police have confirmed that the man is not an employee of the company.
The Suspect
According to the witnesses, the culprit was screaming “You Die” before pouring the flammable liquid. Several Japanese media reports have mentioned that the suspect had bought 40 litres of petrol at a nearby petrol station. Asahi Shimbun, a leading newspaper reported that two empty containers of petrol were found lying at the spot.
The cops are trying to establish the relation between the culprit and the company. Hideki Hatta, the company’s president, expressed his grief and questioned ‘why did such violence have to be used’. Hatta confirmed that the company has been receiving anonymous death threats by emails.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took to Twitter to condole the incident.
本日、京都で発生した放火殺人事件では、多数の死傷者が出ており、あまりの凄惨さに言葉を失います。お亡くなりになられた方のご冥福をお祈りいたします。負傷された皆様にお見舞いを申し上げるとともに、一日も早い回復をお祈りしています。
— 安倍晋三 (@AbeShinzo) July 18, 2019
Anime Fans Mourned
Anime fans throughout the world expressed their grief over the incident and posted images of the anime that the famous studio produced with a hashtag #PrayForKyoani
A 38 years old animation studio, Kyoto Animation, who release many great anime such as:
Full Metal Panic, K-On!, Haruhi Suzumiya, Clannad, Amagi, & Violet Evergarden; and one of the best movie like A Silent Voice;
been victim of arson attack and 33+ people died #PrayForKyoani pic.twitter.com/ITkuKTXF92
— Jᴇииɪʟɪᴄɪᴏᴜs (@DeliciousJennie) July 18, 2019
Kyoto animation played big part in our history as anime fans… Haruhi, Kobayashi-san, Clannad & Full metal panic to name few are among my all time favorites… this is absolutely sucks #PrayForKyoani pic.twitter.com/ZPUYHmtSy1
— Abd El Wadoud (@LaDiiablo) July 18, 2019
My deepest condolences for all of those affected families ,I hope their souls can Rest In Peace ,thanks for beautiful artworks and hard work.
Tamako love Story was one of the first anime movies I’ve watched ,I was amazed by how wonderful it was #KyotoAnimation #PrayForKyoani pic.twitter.com/GQVS5MxgML— I want korean chicken wings (@Lowbittersweet) July 18, 2019
My feelings and respect for every Kyoto Animation company and their families, that everyone can go through all this in the best way possible.
����������������������#PrayForKyoani #PrayForKyoaniが世界に拡散 pic.twitter.com/RgKreSpagi— 東方神起 ��윤재 �� (@CristalJinguji) July 18, 2019
Kyoto Animation, known as KyoAni, was found in 1981. The company has produced famous anime like K-ON and the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The studio has also released a standalone feature anime – A Silent Voice in 2016. One of the studio’s series – Violet Evergarden was used by Netflix for a global market. The company was hired to provide secondary animation work on a 1998 “pokemon” feature that appeared in U.S theatres.
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