Osaka arson suspect identified, buildings to be checked

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese police have identified a 61-year-old man as a prime suspect behind a fire that engulfed a mental health clinic in an eight-story building where he was a patient, killing 24 people who were trapped inside. The government also announced plans to inspect tens of thousands of similar buildings nationwide. Authorities believe the massive death toll at the downtown Osaka building on Friday was largely because the fire made its only emergency stairway unusable. The suspect, Morio Tanimoto, is being treated in serious condition after he was rescued from the fire. He has not been formally arrested or charged. Authorities are investigating how the smoke filled the floor so quickly that the victims became trapped.