One dead after two explosions in Japanese city

Two explosions have hit a Japanese city, killing one person and injuring three in what police say could be a suicide.

The victim, believed to be a 72-year-old former military officer, may have set his house in Utsunomiya on fire, blown up his car in a public car park and then blown himself up in a nearby park.

A note found in the clothing of the badly burned victim included the name of the former officer, Japanese broadcaster NHK and other media reported.

One of the cars destroyed in the blaze in the car park belonged to the retired military man, the reports said.

The back-to-back loud explosions in the park and car park shocked bystanders, many of whom were heading to a festival at the park at the time.

The blasts occurred at about 11.30am local time, within about 200m of each other. The festival was cancelled after the incidents.

Injuries

Two men were seriously injured in the park explosion, and a 14-year-old boy suffered minor leg injuries. No one was hurt at the car park.

Kyodo News said the burned body was found after police received a call saying a person was on fire following what sounded like an explosion.

Bystanders also reported hearing loud blasts from the car park.

Flames and black smoke shot into the air and repeated bangs could be heard on video posted on the Asahi newspaper’s website.

Nearby cars were also damaged.

Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi prefecture, is a city of some 500,000 people about 100km north of Tokyo.

It is near the popular tourist destination of Nikko.

AP