Friday. 29.03.2024

In Japan, a knife attacker described as looking like the 'Joker' from the Batman movies reportedly set fire to a train and injured at least 10 people on Halloween.

Police arrested the 24-year-old man at the scene, Japanese media reported on Sunday evening.

He allegedly attacked passengers with a knife in a compartment of the Keio line in Tokyo, spilled an oil-like liquid and set it on fire.

An elderly man was hit by the knife and lost consciousness. Other victims also suffered minor injuries from the smoke.

The motive of the perpetrator, who is said to have been dressed like the 'Joker,' from the Batman movie, was initially unclear. He is accused of attempted murder.

Dramatic scenes unfolded late in the evening at Kokuryo station in Tokyo's Chufu district, where the train came to an unscheduled halt after an emergency stop.

Many people rescued themselves through the windows of the train and climbed out into the open.

Dense smoke

Smartphone footage from inside the train circulated by Japanese television showed passengers fleeing through the aisles of compartments, while dense smoke and fire could be seen in the background.

"I heard a loud bang and saw flames and smoke behind me. Everyone panicked," one passenger described to reporters.

"I thought I was going to die," a woman told Japanese television station NHK.

A large number of fire engines and rescue workers quickly arrived outside the station, and the entrance was cordoned off.

Police forced their way into the compartment where the man was sitting. He reportedly did not resist arrest. It was initially unclear what kind of liquid the perpetrator was supposed to have spilled from a plastic bottle, but the police denied reports that it was acid.

Report: Multiple injuries after knife attack on Tokyo train