On a train in the Japanese capital Tokyo, a man disguised as a “Joker” injured 17 people. A man is in mortal danger.
Tokyo – According to Japanese media reports, 17 people were injured in a knife and arson attack on a train in Tokyo on Sunday evening. One of the injured suffered severe stab wounds and was in mortal danger. Police reportedly arrested a 24-year-old suspect after the attack. He is charged with attempted murder.
The attack occurred on Halloween night when the Japanese capital was packed with people, many in costume. The attacker, who reportedly wore a green shirt and blue suit, attacked people on the train with a knife and set fire to them.
A video distributed by NHK TV showed panicked passengers running through the train with smoke spreading inside the car. There were also flames. Another video posted on Twitter showed people climbing through train windows to get off the Keio Line train to safety at a station.
The rail operator stated that rail traffic had been partially suspended due to an “incident involving injuries”.
“At first I thought it was something like a Halloween event,” one man who was on the train told NHK. “But I was running away when a man came in with a long knife. I was very lucky not to be injured. ”Another passenger said the attacker did not show any emotion in the act. “He was holding a knife and starting to spread a liquid,” she said. “He committed this deed without showing any emotion, quite mechanically. I think that scared everyone. “
Seventeen people are injured in an attack by a man disguised as a “Joker” in Tokyo
As reported by NHK and the news agency Kyodo News, 17 people were injured in the attack. An older man who was stabbed was therefore in mortal danger.
Kyodo said the suspect told investigators that he “wanted to kill people and be sentenced to death.” He said that he spilled lighter fluid on the train.
Tokyo police have arrested a man who brandished a knife and lit a fire on a train, injuring at least ten people on Sunday night.https://t.co/2lXFjAyUrj pic.twitter.com/jIb2a0QtAC
— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) October 31, 2021
The local police could not be reached for a comment at first. The regional police said they could not provide any information for the time being. Dozens of firefighters and police officers were on duty in front of the station.
Actually, such acts of violence are extremely rare in Japan. In August, nine people were injured in a knife attack on a train in Tokyo. Also in August, two people were burned by acid burns in a Tokyo subway station. (afp)
