At least three people were injured after a stabbing incident on a train in western Japan’s Osaka, on Sunday (July 23). A man identified as the perpetrator was promptly arrested, said the local officials.
What do we know about the incident?
The alleged attack took place on Sunday morning. Subsequently, at around 10:30 am (local time) the local fire department received an emergency call from a West Japan Railway station attendant at Rinku Town Station in the city of Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture that a person had been stabbed.
According to local media reports citing the police and the fire department, three people were injured and at least one of them by a knife.
The three victims – a train conductor in his 20s and two male passengers aged in their 20s and 70s – were taken to the nearby hospital, said the authorities. However, officials said none of them have sustained any life-threatening injuries.
According to the Osaka Prefectural Police, the suspect identified as 37-year-old Kazuya Shimizu was promptly apprehended on the station platform and arrested for suspicion of attempted murder.
Shimizu also reportedly admitted to the stabbing and the police said he was carrying three knives at the time of the attack. The police are currently in the midst of investigating the motive.
Violent crime is said to be rare in Japan, which has a low murder rate and some of the world’s toughest gun laws.
Earlier this year, at least four people were killed after a shooting incident in Japan’s Nagano. The entire episode resulted in the killing of a policeman in a stabbing while four other people died in a shooting attack, as per the police.
In 2021, a 24-year-old man allegedly stabbed a passenger and started a fire on a train in Tokyo on Halloween. The suspect was reportedly dressed as the comic book villain the Joker. The verdict on this case will be delivered on July 31.
(With inputs from agencies)
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