Arson alleged in Japan clinic blaze with 27 feared dead

On Friday, a fire ripped through a psychiatry clinic in the Japanese city of Osaka, killing 27 people and prompting authorities to investigate probable arson.

The fire broke out around 10 a.m. (0100 GMT) on the fourth story of an office building in a bustling section of the western metropolis, according to official broadcaster NHK.

According to NHK, citing sources close to the investigation, a man in his 60s was spotted carrying a bag that was leaking liquid into the clinic’s reception area before the fire started.20 people have been confirmed dead.

A spokesman with the city of Osaka’s fire department said 27 individuals had suffered from cardiac arrest, the term used in Japan before a death is formally declared.

According to the official, another individual was injured. The fire was largely extinguished within 30 minutes, according to NHK.

Footage showed smoke pouring out of the windows of the fourth floor, as well as the roof. “When I looked outside I saw orange flames in the fourth-floor window of the building.

A woman was waving her hands for help from the sixth floor window,” a 36-year-old woman who works in an office nearby told Kyodo News.

Story by : Norvisi Mawunyegah