Nearly 30 confirmed or presumed dead in Japan

TOKYO: The Latest on a fire in a Japanese animation studio (all times local):

8:15 p.m.

A Japanese fire official says nearly 30 people are now confirmed or presumed dead in a suspected arson at a popular animation production studio in Kyoto.

Kyoto fire department official Mikihide Daikoku says 36 others have been injured, some of them critically.

Daikoku says firefighters found more than a dozen people presumed dead on the top floor of a three-story building, some of them collapsed on the stairs leading to the roof.

Authorities say 20 people have been now confirmed dead, with nearly 10 others presumed dead. The outcome makes the case the deadliest fire since a 2001 fire that killed 44 in Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district.

A man is suspected of starting the fire Thursday. He is among those injured in a hospital.

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7:30 p.m.

The president of a popular Japanese animation production company that was gutted in a deadly fire has said his company has received anonymous death threats.

Hideaki Hatta, head of Kyoto Animation, told reporters the company had gotten threats by emails in the past but responded "sincerely" each time.

Japanese fire officials said at least 13 people have been confirmed dead and more than 10 others were presumed dead in Thursday's suspected arson.

Hatta asked, "Why on earth did such violence have to be used?"

Japanese fire department officials said at least 13 people have been confirmed dead and more than 10 others were presumed dead in the suspected arson at the studio Thursday.

A man suspected of starting the fire Thursday was also injured and being treated in a hospital.

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4:45 p.m.

A Japanese fire official says at least 23 people are now confirmed or presumed dead in a suspected arson at a popular animation production studio in Kyoto.

Kyoto fire department official Satoshi Fujiwara says 36 others have been injured, some of them critically.

He says firefighters found more than 10 people presumed dead on the top floor of a three-story building, some of them collapsed on the stairs leading to the roof.

Earlier, authorities have confirmed seven dead and six others presumed dead.

A man is suspected of starting the fire early Thursday. He is among those injured in a hospital.

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3 p.m.

A Japanese fire official says at least 12 people are presumed dead and more could be missing after they were trapped by fire at a popular animation production studio in Kyoto.

Kyoto fire department official Satoshi Fujiwara says 35 others have been injured, some of them critically.

He says firefighters found 12 people who are presumed dead inside the three-story building that was gutted by the blaze.

He says there are several others — up to 18 — who could not be reached but it is not clear if all those had reported to work Thursday.

A man is suspected of starting the fire early Thursday. He is among those injured in a hospital.

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1 p.m.

Japanese authorities say at least 38 people have been injured, some critically, after a man started a fire at a famous animation production studio in Kyoto.

Kyoto prefectural police say the fire broke out Thursday morning at a three-story building of Kyoto Animation after a man burst in and spread unidentified liquid that set off the blaze.

Fire department officials say 10 of the injured are in serious condition.

Rescue officials set up a tent outside the building to provide first aid and sort out the injured. Fire department officials say more than 70 people were in the building at the time of the fire, but most of them ran outside.