HOKKAIDO (TR) – Three women believed to be in their 20s were found dead inside a Sapporo City apartment on Tuesday morning in what police are investigating as a highly probable group suicide, reports TBS News (June 9)
At just before 8:00 a.m., local police received a call from the mother of one of the women. The mother had visited the second-floor apartment, located in the Nango-dori area of Shiroishi Ward, but was unable to enter. “The door to my daughter’s home won’t open,” she told emergency dispatchers.
Police and fire rescue personnel rushed to the scene. Upon gaining entry, they discovered the lifeless bodies of three young women inside the apartment’s bathroom. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the fire department, none of the bodies showed any noticeable signs of external physical trauma. Investigators recovered two rentan (charcoal briquettes) from the bathroom, a common method used to induce fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.
The grim discovery left residents of the quiet neighborhood on edge. “I was completely shocked, especially since it happened right next door,” a neighbor told reporters. “My impression is that this area has a relatively young demographic of renters.”
Police are currently treating the incident as a likely suicide pact. An investigation is underway to determine the relationship between the three women and the circumstances leading up to their deaths.
