Police investigating deadly explosions north of Tokyo
TOKYO — A series of explosions rocked a parking lot and nearby park Sunday morning in Utsunomiya, a city about 80 miles north of Tokyo, killing one man and injuring three other people, police said.
Police identified the dead man as Toshikatsu Kurihara, 72. His badly charred body was found in the park, according to NHK, the public broadcasting service.
The NHK said Kurihara was a former officer in Japan’s military, the Self Defense Forces, and that police had found what appeared to be a suicide note on his clothes. The police would not immediately confirm those details.
The NHK report said that two of the injured had been hurt by shrapnel from an explosive device and had been taken to a hospital.
According to police, the blasts injured two men, ages 64 and 58, and a 14-year-old boy. The police were investigating whether Kurihara had intended to harm others.
The explosions, which happened in quick succession in the morning near a traditional cultural festival, destroyed two cars and partly burned another. They also damaged a building near the parking lot, a fire department spokesman said.
NHK also reported that Kurihara’s home had burned down about half an hour before the explosions, but the police did not immediately confirm a connection.