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Tokyo man arrested after apartment blaze

Tokyo police arrested a man after a fire erupted inside his residence in Edogawa Ward
Tokyo police arrested a man on suspicion of arson after a fire erupted inside his residence in Edogawa Ward

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 32-year-old man after a fire at a government-run apartment in Edogawa Ward on Monday resulted in injuries to himself and one other person, reports NHK (Sept. 19).

At 2:50 p.m., Kenji Kasuya allegedly used salad oil to start a fire on some bedding in a seventh-floor unit of the building, located in the Funabori area.

The blaze was extinguished about an hour later by personnel from 16 trucks from the Tokyo Fire Department deployed to the scene.

Kasuya was transported to a hospital with burns to both of his hands. A woman, aged in her 80s, living on a floor below was also taken to a hospital after experiencing throat pain.

The unit where Kasuya resides with his mother and older brother was completely burned in the blaze.

Kasuya, who has been accused of arson, admits to the allegations. “My relationship with my brother has been poor for a while, so due to a grudge I started the fire,” the suspect was quoted by police.