Fire was started intentionally, according to Kyoto prefecture police
Kyoto Animation logo
At least a dozen people are presumed dead and many more missing after a fire engulfed the Kyoto Animation studio in the Kyoto prefecture of Japan Thursday morning, according to the Associated Press.
An addition 18 people are unaccounted for, according to Kyoto fire department official Satoshi Fujiwara. The official added that 35 people are injured, some critically.
The fire is being investigated as an arson. Kyoto prefecture police say a man ran into the three-story production facility and sprayed an unidentified liquid that set off the blaze. The man is among those injured and recovering in hospital.
Video from NHK shows plumes of black smoke billowing from the three-story building, with first responders tending to the wounded.
Kyoto Animation is a popular animation studio that has produced numerous anime shows and films. Founded in 1981, its popular titles include “Full Metal Panic,” “K-On!!,” “Sound Euphorium” and numerous features in the “Free!” series. The studio’s nickname is “Kyoani” — an amalgamation of Kyoto and anime.
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