Kyoto Animation Studio Arson Attack Has Claimed At Least 33 Lives

It's a sad day for animation fans.

News has recently come out that the offices of Kyoto Animation Studio (A Silent Voice, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-On!) were set on fire in an arson attack. Latest reports claim that the death toll has gone so high that this has been one of the worst mass murder attacks to ever hit Japan in its postwar history.

According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, at least 33 people have been confirmed dead and several more injured. Around 36 more people were also said to have been hospitalized. As of now, reports say that there were about 70 staff members inside the building when it was set ablaze.

A 41-year-old man, who hasn't been named yet, confessed to the crime. The news also shared that the suspect walked into the 1st Studio Building in Fujimi Ward after 10 am. News also said that the man allegedly poured gasoline around the building, then set fire to it. The arsonist was also injured by the event.

Although the suspect willingly admitted to the crime after being arrested by the police, the motive still isn't disclosed. However, reports say that the suspect shouted, "die" while setting fire to the building. Current investigation shows that he is not connected to the studio.

A fire safety professor has said that the reason why the fire spread so badly could be due to poor ventilation. An abundance of paper used by the artists also helped spread the fire too quickly before the people were able to get out.

For now, the identity of the arsonist and his motive behind it remain confidential. Hopefully, all of this will come to light soon, and justice will be served.

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