Man arrested over attack at Japan rubber factory where he previously worked

TOKYO – A man arrested in connection with a

stabbing attack at a rubber manufacturer’s factory

in central Japan had previously been employed there, a source familiar with the matter said on Dec 26.

Masaki Oyama, 38, was arrested following an attack on Dec 26 at the Mishima Plant of Yokohama Rubber that left 15 employees injured.

Oyama, a resident of Mishima in Shizuoka Prefecture, has been identified by the police as currently out of work.

The police suspect that Oyama wielded a survival knife in the incident, indicating that he had a strong intention to kill.

An emergency call was made at around 4.30pm on Dec 26 reporting that several people had been stabbed and that a liquid had been dispersed.

A total of 15 men, aged in their 20s to 50s, were taken to hospital, all of them conscious. Eight people suffered stab wounds, while the remaining seven may have been injured by the liquid, the fire department said.

According to the source, Oyama had worked at the Mishima factory in the past and lived in a nearby employee dormitory. KYODO NEWS