MISHIMA, Dec 26: Fourteen people were injured in a stabbing and chemical spray attack at a Yokohama Rubber Company factory in central Japan on Friday, with police arresting a 38-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder.
The incident occurred around 4:30 pm local time at the tire manufacturing facility in Mishima city, Shizuoka Prefecture, approximately 2.3 kilometers southeast of Mishima Station. Emergency services received a call reporting that “five or six people were stabbed by someone” and that a “spray-like liquid” had also been used during the attack.
Eight people were hospitalized after being stabbed with what appeared to be a survival knife, with five in serious condition. Seven others sustained injuries from the liquid, believed to be chlorine bleach, that was sprayed during the attack. All victims remained conscious following the incident, according to national broadcaster NHK.
The attacker, identified as Masaki Koyama, 38, was wearing what appeared to be a gas mask during the assault and was connected to the factory. Police quickly detained him at the scene on attempted murder charges. The Yokohama Rubber factory, which produces tires for passenger cars, employed 987 workers as of December 2024.
