'Gruesome' KyoAni Arson Attack Kills 33, Becoming Worst Mass Murder In Japan In 20 Years

A man doused the Kyoto Animation studio on Thursday morning with what appeared to be gasoline and set the building ablaze, killing 33 people and injuring 36 more in what has became one of the worst mass murders in Japan in nearly two decades

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2019) A man doused the Kyoto Animation studio on Thursday morning with what appeared to be gasoline and set the building ablaze, killing 33 people and injuring 36 more in what has became one of the worst mass murders in Japan in nearly two decades.

According to local media, nearly 70 people could have been inside the Kyoto Animation (KyoAni) building at the time of the incident.

The perpetrator, 41, who was seen shouting "die" as he set the studio ablaze, was detained by police and confessed to the arson. He has been confirmed to be neither a former nor current employee, and his motives are still unclear. The president of Kyoto Animation, Hideaki Hatta, said that the studio had recently received threatening emails saying "die."

The attack has become the nation's second worst mass murder in the post-war history, preceded by the 2001 arson at the Myojo 56 building in Tokyo, which left 44 people dead.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his condolences to the victims of the Kyoto Animation arson attack.

"Today, many people were killed and injured in an arson attack that took place in Kyoto, and it is so gruesome that I am at a loss for words. I pray for the repose of souls of those deceased.

I would like to express my condolences to those injured and pray for their quick recovery," Abe wrote on Twitter.

The appalling attack on the studio, which produced such anime hits as "K-On," "Clannad" and "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," shocked fans both within and beyond the country. Many of them took to Twitter to express their condolences and support for families of the attack victims with hashtag #PrayForKyoAni, which is trending worldwide with more than 295,000 tweets.

"KyoAni means a lot to me and it's so heart breaking to hear what has happened. My love and support goes to the families of everyone and to KyoAni. I'm so sorry that [this] happened," Twitter user @mikuismyqueen wrote.

"[I don't know] why someone attack such a beautiful studio? Innocent people just working hard bringing beautiful art to life are injured and many lost their lives. I truly hope they can bounce back from this! My condolences for all of the KyoAni staff," another user, @kirayamatoOo, said.

The US-based Sentai Filmworks animation distributor, which licenses some of series and films of the studio, has launched a crowdfunding initiative immediately after the attack, raising over $770,000 from over 23,000 donors in some 11 hours.