Kumamoto – A man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to start a fire on a bullet train in southwestern Japan on Monday morning, police said.
Kiyoshi Miyake, 69, from Fukuoka, was detained on the spot, they said. No injuries were reported on the train bound for Kagoshima-Chuo Station. The train was passing through Kumamoto Prefecture at the time of the incident at around 8:40 a.m., according to JR Kyushu.
The bullet train from Hiroshima made an emergency stop and smoke was seen inside the No. 3 car, the operator said, adding that the fire was put out immediately after part of a seat was burnt.
The incident comes after a stabbing and arson attack on a Tokyo train on Halloween night.
According to the Kumamoto Prefectural Police, Miyake said that he saw the news about the Tokyo train attack and “tried to copy” that. He also told police that he spread liquid on the floor and threw paper that he burned with a lighter.
A number of attacks on trains and station premises in the Tokyo area have occurred recently.
On Oct. 31, a man dressed as the Joker, the villain in the “Batman” films and comics, injured 17 people, including one seriously, during a stabbing and arson attack on a Keio Line train.
The suspect in the Keio Line attack has been quoted by police as saying that he had been inspired by an earlier train attack on the Odakyu Line in August, in which 10 passengers were injured in a stabbing spree.
On Oct. 15, two men were stabbed by a man at JR Ueno Station. In a separate incident, two people were injured in a Tokyo subway station in late August after a man sprayed sulfuric acid at the face of another man.
Following the Keio Line incident, the transport ministry asked all railway companies in Japan to strengthen vigilance to ensure safety.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
PHOTO GALLERY (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
