Fifteen people were injured in a stabbing spree and chemical attack at a Yokohama Rubber Co. tire factory in Mishima, west of Tokyo, officials said.<\/b>
\nFifteen people were injured, and a suspect is in custody following a stabbing spree and chemical attack at a tire factory in central Japan.
The 38-year-old attacker allegedly stabbed eight people and wounded seven others with what was believed to be bleach on Friday at a Yokohama Rubber Co. facility in Mishima, west of Tokyo, officials said.
The motive for the incident is unclear, but the suspect is believed to be a former employee at the factory, the Kyodo news agency reported, citing investigative sources.
The suspect was carrying a survival knife and wearing what appeared to be a gas mask, Japanese newspaper Asahi added.
The Fujisan Nanto Fire Department told The Associated Press that five of the people who were stabbed were in serious condition.
Images and video taken at the scene showed first responders swarming the factory.
Shizuoka prefecture police said the attacker was arrested for alleged attempted murder.
Media reports described the stabbing victims as all being conscious while being transported to local hospitals.
The seven others injured by the bleach thrown at them during the attack were hospitalized as well, the fire department said.<\/p>\n