Japanese police identified a suspect Sunday who may be responsible for an arson attack that killed 24 people.
The suspect, who was identified as 61-year-old Morio Tonimoto, is believed to have set fire to a mental health clinic where he was a patient, Associated Press reported. (RELATED: Father And Son Arrested For Allegedly Starting Wildfire That Displaced Thousands)
At least 24 people were confirmed dead and several others were critically injured in the Japanese city of Osaka after a fire broke out in a psychiatric clinic in a multi-story office building, in an incident that is now being investigated by police as a suspected case of arson. pic.twitter.com/Eu5erGGTYi
— Forbes (@Forbes) December 17, 2021
Osaka police, who were investigating the incident as arson and murder, suspect that Tonimoto was responsible for setting fire to the clinic after viewing footage from security cameras and searching his home, according to AP.
Security camera footage showed the suspect riding a bicycle to the clinic while carrying a backpack. He had bags in a front basket and a bulky item tied to the rear. The suspect was also wearing a surgical mask and baseball cap which hid his face, according to the outlet.
Tonimoto was being treated after having been rescued from the fire, and no charges or arrests have been made as of yet, AP reported.
The Japanese government has announced that they will launching a nationwide inspection of the safety of similar buildings, as the fire blocked the victims from the only emergency stairway in the building, according to AP.