Suspect Of Building Fire In Osaka That Killed 25 People Suspected Of Being Inspired By 2019 Arson Attacks

JAKARTA - The suspect in a fatal fire in a building in Osaka, Japan last week, is suspected of wanting to replicate the deadly 2019 arson attack on an animated studio in Kyoto, which also involved an earlier purchase of gasoline, investigative sources said Tuesday.

A fire in the building that houses a mental health clinic on Friday killed 25 people. The death toll rose after a woman in her 20s died early Tuesday, according to police. It is known, as many as 27 people were rushed to hospital after the fire.

Citing Kyodo News Dec. 21, investigative sources said a newspaper article about an animation studio fire that killed 36 people, was found at the residence of the suspect named Morio Tanimoto in the Nishiyodogawa area. This led the police to suspect he used a similar method.

According to sources, a small fire broke out at the man's residence about 30 minutes before the clinic fire, with police suspecting he may have tried to ignite gasoline before the planned arson attack.

The suspect, who is also a 61-year-old patient at the clinic, bought about 10 liters of gasoline in late November, leading police to think he had strong intentions to kill people, the sources said.

Tanimoto is also believed to have tried to seal the clinic's emergency exit with adhesive tape from the outside the day before the fire to prevent people from escaping, another investigative source said.

Police believe Tanimoto started a fire on the fourth floor of a building in Kita Ward in western Japan's city at around 10:15 am Friday. Tanimoto remains in serious condition due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Meanwhile, of the 25 victims, 21 have been identified including the clinic's director, Kotaro Nishizawa, 49, police said. Nishizawa told his wife he had found tape on the door leading to the emergency stairs the day before the incident and removed it, according to the source.

Security camera footage taken at the psychosomatic and psychiatric clinic showed the fire broke out about one to two minutes after Tanimoto's arrival. Police suspect he went to the clinic under the guise of receiving a medical examination.

In addition, camera footage also shows the suspect placing a paper bag in front of the clinic's reception area. The suspect then crouched near the bag and moved his hands, after which the flames could be seen rapidly rising to the ceiling. A lighter was found where the fire is thought to have started.

Regarding the purchase of gasoline, Tanimoto apparently admitted it was for his motorbike. He showed his identity at the time of purchase because he was required to buy gasoline in containers.