Kyoto Animation Fire: 33 Confirmed Dead After Devastating Arson Attack on Japanese Animation Studio
The sad and disturbing news broke today that 33 people were killed and many more injured in a suspected arson attack at Kyoto Animation (KyoAni) Studio in Kyoto Japan.
On July 18, at 10:30 local time the three-story building broke out in flames. A suspect is in custody and currently hospitalized after reportedly pouring what appears to be gasoline and setting the blaze.
The fire burned for five hours before fighter fighters were able to extinguish the flames. There were around 70 people inside the building when the fire started. 36 individuals are in the hospital, some in critical condition. With 33 confirmed dead, the Kyoto Animation fire is the largest mass murder in Japan since the Myojo 56 building fire nearly 20 years ago.
Kyoto Animation was founded in 1981 by former Mushi Pro staff. They are known for their groundbreaking work on many beloved anime series and films such as Lucky Star, Clannad, K-On!, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Free!, Violet Evergarder, A Silent Voice, and more. The studio is seen as the gold standard in the industry for the ethical treatment of workers, with all animators being salaried employees, and high-quality animation.
Fans and industry professionals alike turned to social media to express their greif, sorry, and sympathies, with #PrayForKyoani reaching #1 trending worldwide on Twitter.
Sentai Filmworks has set up a gofundme, Help KyoAni Heal, which has raised over $500,000 dollars. Please note that at this time KyoAni has not made any statements requesting financial help or indicating what they may need in terms of support.
Keep reading
Update: NHK reports that of the 33 killed 12 were men, 20 women, and one unknown. Additionally, 35 people were injured in the fire.
Japan’s Prime minister, Shinzo Abe, posted on Twitter praying for those that were killed and for the quick recovery of the injured.
Sentai Filmworks released a statement about their GoFundMe saying:
Thank you to everyone who has shown their support for those impacted by the tragedy at KyoAni. Together, we can bring light to this incredibly dark time. We are partnering with GoFundMe to ensure that the funds raised are safely distributed. The money will remain on hold while we coordinate how they will reach those in need. Please continue to share and donate, if you can.
You can donate to Help KyoAni Heal GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kyoani-heal/
Update: Over 45 thousand people have now donated to the GoFundMe, raising one and a half million dollars, double the $750,000 goal.
Sentai Filmworks released another statement on the GoFundMe page shortly after passing the million-dollar mark, saying:
Thanks to your incredible love, support and generosity, more than $1,000,000 has been raised in the hours since this GoFundMe drive was launched. Since the studio’s founding in 1981, Kyoto Animation has touched the lives and inspired the imaginations of millions of people across the globe. KyoAni’s impeccable storytelling and beautiful animation have brought joy immeasurable to the anime community, and it is our honor to extend our hand to them in the wake of the recent attack. As support continues to pour in from around the world, we remain dedicated to aiding those impacted by this tragedy in the most appropriate and effective ways possible. We are actively working to establish the most direct bridge to delivering this aid to affected KyoAni staff and their families. We established this GoFundMe drive to help build that bridge through all of your generous support. The funds pledged and collected through this drive will not be touched until we have confidence they will reach the intended recipients. We want donors and those considering donating to this drive to understand that, apart from GoFundMe’s fees to provide a platform for support, every dollar collected will go to the intended recipients. Thank you for your continuing support.
Others have pointed out that another way to support KyoAni is to buy high-res digital images from their online store, which run for 216 yen each (2 USD). Since the shop is digital KyoAni does not need to worry about inventory or shipping.
You can visit the storefront in Japanese at https://kyoani.shop-pro.jp/
Update: It has been confirmed that one of the injured died at the hospital, raising the death count of this tragic event to 34.
Many reports about the identity of the suspect and his motivation are circulating but coverage here will continue to focus on the victims, although, as the remains are still being identified, no names of victims will be named until more information is available.
Fans and supporters continue to give Kyoto Animation thier support. At the time of writting, Sentai Filmworks’ GoFundMe has raised over 2.1 million dollars for the victims. Additionally, Kyoto Animation has opened an account to accept donations for those who want to send them directly using the following information:
Bank Name: The Kyoto Shinkin Bank Swift: KYSBJPJZ Branch Name: Minami Momoyama Branch Branch Number: 048 Address: 16-50, Yosai, Momoyama-cho, Hushimi-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-hu, 612-8016, Japan Account Number: 0002890 Account Holder: Kyoto Animation, Co., Ltd., representative director Hatta Hideaki
Kyoto Animation stated that it will give funds to the families of the deceased and those injured in the fire. Additionally, funds will be used for rebuilding, although the company did not say if funds would be used on a new building or the current one.
On Saturday, Kyoto Animation president Hideaki Hatta openly considered demolishing the remains of the building to create a public park and monument. He also thanked those around the world for their actions and messages of support.
Update: A 35th death has been confirmed, as another injured victim of the attack died in the hospital.
Data, including art and other materials, have been recovered from the serves in the Kyoto Animation Studio building. The servers were located in a room away from the fire in a concrete room, protecting them. A Kyoto Animation lawyer, Daisuke Okeda, confirmed that the data was not damaged.
Monetary donations continue to pour in to support the studio and victims of the attack. The account set up by Kyoto Animation has reportedly received 620 million yen, equivalent to US$5.7. This is in addition to the 2.3 million USD raised by Sentai Filmworks in support of the studio.
Updates: [1] [2] [3] [4]
