EXCLUSIVE: Arson survivor cites rare structure of anime studio door

July 21, 2019

Kyoto--A man who survived Thursday's deadly arson attack on an animation studio in the western Japan city of Kyoto has told Jiji Press that the door to the rooftop of the building was "a difficult type to open" because it had a rare structure.

The door was "a rare type," having two metal levers, with one arranged above the other, the man, an employee of Kyoto Animation Co., said.

To open the door, the two levers need to be operated, the male employee said, recalling that he was "not good at opening the door at first."

He was working on the second floor of the studio when the three-story building was hit by the arson attack that has left more than 30 people dead and many others injured.

The door had been closed but not locked when firefighters arrived at the studio for rescue operations. The bodies of 19 people were found on staircases just in front of the door.

Shinji Aoba, 41, who is suspected of setting the studio ablaze, is hospitalized after he was severely burned in the incident. Aoba allegedly scattered gasoline inside the studio after entering the building from its main entrance and set it alight.

On Saturday, the police department of Kyoto Prefecture obtained an arrest warrant for Aoba on suspicions including arson and murder.

When the arson occurred, about 30 Kyoto Animation employees were on the second floor of the studio, according to the male worker.

He said he first noticed a man's angry voices coming from the first floor and then heard some women screaming.

About 15 seconds after a female employee who was on the second floor set off an emergency alarm, black smoke rose up through the spiral staircases to block visibility, the man said.

After managing to move to the balcony, he dared to jump off to escape the smoke. He suffered minor injuries on both elbows.

He said: "I feel anger at the suspect as many colleagues who have worked with me during good times and bad lost their lives in the tragedy. The suspect must be brought to justice after he recovers." Jiji Press