Mourners pay tribute to victims of deadly Kyoto Animation arson attack
- Blaze killed 34 people after 41-year-old Shinji Aoba allegedly splashed petrol and set the three-storey studio in Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward on fire
- Kyoto Animation has begun accepting donations from people for rebuilding the studio, saying it will make its best efforts
The 34, all staff of the company, also known as KyoAni, died after 41-year-old Shinji Aoba allegedly splashed petrol and set the three-storey studio in Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward on fire around 10.30am on July 18.
“I am at a loss for words,” said 52-year-old Hideki Miyoshi from Okayama, who stopped at the Kyoto site to offer flowers on his way to Tokyo on a business trip. “These talented people created wonderful works, and their lives were lost in an instant.”
Long queues of people, including fans from overseas, formed before a tent set up for laying flowers near the charred building, whose steel ceiling frames were revealed after the fire.
“The first animation work that made me cry was a KyoAni work. I am still in a state of shock and can’t believe what happened,” said a 17-year-old high school student from Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, who said she dreams of joining the company one day.
Jiang Yifei, a 16-year-old high school student from China, said she hopes for the anime studio’s recovery.
Police have obtained an arrest warrant on murder and other charges for Aoba, who has been treated for serious burns at an Osaka hospital. They have also finished identifying all the victims through DNA tests and are planning to reveal their names soon, according to investigative sources.
