3 dead in Japan building fire, arson suspected

Tokyo: Three people were killed and 28 others severely injured after a fire broke out in a building in Japan's Osaka prefecture on Friday, with the police suspecting arson as the cause of the blaze.

Of the 28 injured, 17 men and 10 women were in cardiopulmonary arrest, according to firefighters.

The injured were brought out from the fourth floor of the eight-storey multi-tenant building located near JR Osaka Station, reports Xinhua news agency.

As of now, three deaths have been confirmed by doctors at a hospital.

After receiving a report of fire at around 10.20 a.m., the local fire department sent about 70 fire engines and ambulances to the scene.

The fire was extinguished by around 10.45 a.m. after burning across an area of approximately 20 square metres for about 30 minutes.

It was reported that the fire started within a medical clinic that provides psychosomatic and psychiatric treatments on the fourth floor.

The Osaka police have begun investigating what might start the fire since there was a suspicion of arson based on the situation at the scene.

There is a report that a "man lit fire" in the building in Kita Ward in the western Japanese city, local media reported, citing investigative sources.

The police were also informed that the fire had been started from liquid dispersed from a paper bag held by a man who appeared to be in his 60s.

"I saw smoke coming out and there were a lot of fire trucks and ambulances. People were being rescued by a ladder truck. At one point, there was a power outage in the surrounding area," a witness working at a nearby restaurant said.

The fire occurred in Osaka's Kitashinchi district where a number of bars and nightclubs are located.