2021 Osaka building fire: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 34°41′52″N 135°29′45″E / 34.6977°N 135.4957°E / 34.6977; 135.4957
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[[Prime Minister of Japan|Japanese prime minister]] [[Fumio Kishida]] said that "A very tragic incident occurred. First of all, we must make efforts to prevent a recurrence by grasping the actual situation and clarifying the cause and circumstances."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arson suspected after 24 confirmed dead in Osaka clinic fire |url=https://japantoday.com/category/crime/update1-27-feared-dead-after-osaka-building-fire|access-date=2021-12-17 |website=[[Japan Today]] |language=en}}</ref>
[[Prime Minister of Japan|Japanese prime minister]] [[Fumio Kishida]] said that "A very tragic incident occurred. First of all, we must make efforts to prevent a recurrence by grasping the actual situation and clarifying the cause and circumstances."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arson suspected after 24 confirmed dead in Osaka clinic fire |url=https://japantoday.com/category/crime/update1-27-feared-dead-after-osaka-building-fire|access-date=2021-12-17 |website=[[Japan Today]] |language=en}}</ref>


Osaka governor [[Hirofumi Yoshimura]] wrote that "The municipal fire department is investigating the cause of the fire. I have received a report that Osaka police is investigating the fire as a possible arson".<ref name="Taipei_Times" /> Internal Affairs and Communications Minister [[Yasushi Kaneko]] ordered the inspection of some 30,000 buildings in Japan that have three plus floors but only a single stairwell.<ref name="NPRsuspect" />
Osaka governor [[Hirofumi Yoshimura]] wrote that "The municipal fire department is investigating the cause of the fire. I have received a report that Osaka police is investigating the fire as a possible arson".<ref name="Taipei_Times" /> Internal Affairs and Communications Minister [[Yasushi Kaneko]] ordered the inspection of some 30,000 buildings in Japan that have three plus floors, but only a single stairwell.<ref name="NPRsuspect" />


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 21:58, 20 December 2021

2021 Osaka building fire
The building after the fire
Map
Date17 December 2021 (2021-12-17), 10:20 a.m. JST
LocationNishi Umeda clinic for the mind and body of workers, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan
Coordinates34°41′52″N 135°29′45″E / 34.6977°N 135.4957°E / 34.6977; 135.4957
CauseSuspected arson
Deaths24
Non-fatal injuries4, including suspect
AccusedMorio Tanimoto

On 17 December 2021, a fire occurred in the Nishi Umeda Clinic for the Mind and Body of Workers psychiatric clinic located on the fourth floor of the Dojima Kita Building in Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan.[1][2] The fire is suspected to have been started deliberately. Twenty-four people were killed, and four more were injured, including the suspect.[3] The suspect has been arrested.

Fire

On 17 December 2021, at 10:20 a.m. local time, a fire broke out at an eight-story building in Kita, a ward of Osaka, Japan. The fire broke out in a psychiatric clinic that is located on the fourth floor,[4] called the Nishi Umeda Clinic for the Mind and Body of Workers.[5] The clinic treats patients suffering from depression and panic, but also physical ailments including anemia and sleep apnea.[3] The clinic had a counselling session for patients intending to re-enter the workforce at 10:00 a.m. local time. This session was the reason that so many victims were at the clinic during the fire.[2] The fire started shortly before 10:30 a.m.[6]

According to two women who were at the reception desk, and had escaped the fire, the suspect walked into the clinic carrying a paper bag, which he placed next to a heater at the reception desk. The suspect kicked the bag, spilling and igniting the liquid inside the bag, and the entire floor was set on fire.[2][7][8][4]

Dozens of firefighters rushed to the building and the blaze was brought under control in approximately thirty minutes.[6] The firefighters said that seventy fire trucks and ambulances rushed to the scene.[9] Most of the exterior of the building remained intact, as the fire was limited to a 20-square-meter area.[10] The department received a report on the fire at 10:18 and the fire was nearly extinguished by 10:46.[11]

The victims gasped for air and had difficulties to escape, as there was only one escape route with the emergency stairs and elevators being located outside the clinic.[12]

Victims

Twenty-four people were confirmed dead at the scene of the fire, while four more were injured,[3] including the suspect.[13] Fourteen of the deceased were men and ten were women. The ages of the victims ranged from twenty to sixty.[14] All of the victims were patients or staff at the clinic.[2]

The four injured include the suspect, who is hospitalised in critical condition with severe burns, two women who are unconscious and in critical condition, and a third woman who sustained minor injuries.[2] A doctor who treated some of the casualties told reporters that many of the victims, as suggested by their limited external injuries, died from carbon monoxide poisoning.[14]

Investigation

Police stated that they suspect that the fire was arson, and are said to be investigating further.[8] Traces of a highly flammable liquid, most likely to be gasoline, were found at the site. Traces on the clinic's ceiling and the speed of the inferno support the suspicion of arson.[2]

On 18 December, police searched the suspect's house in Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka. The suspect moved into the house a few months prior to the fire.[2] Half an hour prior to the building fire, there was a small fire at the suspect's house.[12] The suspect is 61 years old and is a former patient of the clinic;[15][13] he was later identified as Morio Tanimoto, a retired metal worker.[16]

Experts were surprised by the fire's high death toll.[12] The authorities are investigating how victims became trapped and the floor filled up with smoke so quickly.[12] According to officials, the building had no previous fire code violations.[12]

Reactions

Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida said that "A very tragic incident occurred. First of all, we must make efforts to prevent a recurrence by grasping the actual situation and clarifying the cause and circumstances."[17]

Osaka governor Hirofumi Yoshimura wrote that "The municipal fire department is investigating the cause of the fire. I have received a report that Osaka police is investigating the fire as a possible arson".[10] Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Yasushi Kaneko ordered the inspection of some 30,000 buildings in Japan that have three plus floors, but only a single stairwell.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ News, A. B. C. "Japan police search house of man linked to deadly Osaka fire". ABC News. Retrieved 19 December 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Clinic patient emerges as key suspect in deadly arson case | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "24 confirmed dead in suspected case of arson in Osaka". The Japan Times. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Dozens killed in Japan building fire, arson suspected". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  5. ^ News, A. B. C. "Japan police search house of man linked to deadly Osaka fire". ABC News. Retrieved 19 December 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ a b "24 dead in Osaka building fire, arson suspected". NHK WORLD-JAPAN News. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021. The fire began on the fourth floor of the eight-story building shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Friday. It was brought under control in about 30 minutes.
  7. ^ "Police identify suspect in Japan arson attack that killed 24". The National. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Japan: At least 27 feared dead in Osaka building fire". BBC News. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  9. ^ "More than two dozen dead in suspected arson fire in Osaka, Japan". UPI. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Twenty-four killed in fire at Osaka office building – Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  11. ^ CNN, Junko Ogura. "Up to 27 feared dead in building fire in Japan". CNN News. Retrieved 17 December 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  12. ^ a b c d e "Police search house of man linked to deadly Osaka fire". NPR. Associated Press. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Possible suspect in critical condition after Osaka clinic fire kills 24". The Japan Times. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  14. ^ a b "【速報】殺人と放火疑いで「捜査本部」設置 大阪・北新地のビル火災で２４人死亡確認". MBS News. 17 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Police suspect arson by 61-year-old clinic patient in deadly Osaka fire". UPI. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Police identify suspect in deadly Osaka arson fire". NPR. 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Arson suspected after 24 confirmed dead in Osaka clinic fire". Japan Today. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
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