1 dead, 2 injured in stabbing attack near Japan railway station

Police are hunting for the suspect, who is believed to be in possession of a bladed weapon and wore a white cloth over his head

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Paramedics stand at the site where multiple people were stabbed in front of JR Nagano Station in Nagano. Photo: Reuters

Published: 10:26pm, 22 Jan 2025Updated: 1:07am, 23 Jan 2025

A man was killed and two other people were injured in an apparent random stabbing incident on Wednesday evening near a railway station in Nagano, a key transport hub for ski areas in central Japan, local police and fire authorities said.

The police are searching for the attacker, who fled the scene near JR Nagano Station with a blade weapon-like object in his hand. An investigative source said the suspect apparently targeted people at random.

The three people were attacked while they waited for a bus near the station and one of the victims, Hiroyoshi Maruyama, 49, died after being stabbed in the left side, the authorities said.

Members of police exam the scene of a multiple stabbing in front of JR Nagano station. Photo: AP

Local fire authorities said they were alerted to the incident at around 8.05pm, when a caller reported that a man had lost consciousness and stopped breathing after being stabbed.

Another man in his 30s sustained serious injuries after he was stabbed in the back, and a woman in her 30s was also injured after being attacked and falling, they added.

One victim told investigators the suspect appeared to be in his 40s and escaped to the south in the city’s downtown area, the police said.

He was of slim build, between 165 and 175cm tall, and wore glasses as well as something like a white cloth over his head, they said.