15 People Hospitalized, Including 5 in Serious Condition, After Stabbing, Chemical Attack at Tire Factory

A man has been arrested after authorities say he attacked workers at a tire factory in central Japan, injuring 15 people the day after Christmas.

The incident occurred Friday, Dec. 26 at a Yokohama Rubber Co. facility in Mishima—about 75 miles southwest of Tokyo—according to the Associated Press, CBS News and The Japan Times.

Police believe the suspect stabbed eight people inside the factory, and all were taken to nearby hospitals, per AP, citing the Fujisan Nanto Fire Department. Five of those victims were reportedly transported in serious condition.

Investigators also say the man used a chemical—believed to be bleach—to injure seven additional people. Those victims were likewise transported to hospitals for treatment, though their conditions were not immediately clear, the outlets reported.

All of the injured were conscious when first responders arrived, The Japan Times reported, citing NHK.

The suspect has not been publicly identified, though he was described as a 38-year-old man. The Fujisan Nanto Fire Department told AP he was arrested at the factory on suspicion of attempted murder, and officials did not immediately release additional details.

Witness accounts and local reporting suggest the man had some connection to the facility, though it was unclear whether he worked there, The Japan Times reported. AP, citing the Japanese newspaper Asahi, reported he was seen entering the factory wearing what appeared to be a gas mask and carrying a survival knife.

Yokohama Rubber Co. manufactures tires used for trucks and commercial vehicles, according to its website. The company operates facilities worldwide and employs more than 34,000 people.

Japan has strict gun control laws and generally records a lower homicide rate than many other countries, but violent incidents still occur. In May, a 43-year-old man, Yoshitaka Toda, was charged with attempted murder after a knife attack at Tokyo’s Toda-mae metro station that injured two people, according to Barrons. Another man was sentenced to death in October for a 2023 attack that killed four people, including two police officers, The Japan Times reported.