HOKKAIDO (TR) – Hokkaido Prefectural Police launched an investigation after the discovery of a corpse inside a burned-out vehicle in Iwamizawa City last week, reports the Hokkaido Shimbun (Nov. 21).
At around 3:55 p.m. on November 23, a male motorist alerted police about smoke coming from the vehicle, which was parked on a municipal road in the Kurisawacho Miyamura area.
A fire crew arriving at the scene found the body inside the driver’s seat after extinguishing the blaze.
Due to extensive burns, the body is of unknown gender, the Iwamizawa Police Station said.
According to police, the vehicle belongs to a woman in her 70s who lives in the city. Her husband departed their residence with the vehicle earlier that day and has not been heard from since.
In addition to seeking the cause of the fire, police are working to confirm the identity of the body. The case is being treated as the result of foul play or a suicide.
