Couple Stabbed to Death in Kashiwa, Chiba Pref.; Fire Near Stabbing Site Burns Down House, Residents Unaccounted for

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:24 JST, December 19, 2024

A couple died after being stabbed in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, on Wednesday, police said.

At around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, a neighbor called 119 for an ambulance, quoted as saying, “A man and a woman, two people, were lying in blood,” in Kashiwa. The couple appeared to be in their 50s. The man suffered stab wounds to the abdomen and the woman stabbed in the chest, according to the Kashiwa fire department. They were confirmed dead at the hospital where they were taken.

Prefectural police are investigating the incident as a possible homicide.

At around 6:20 p.m., a resident called 110 for police at a venue about 600 meters from the stabbing location, quoted as saying, “The house next door is burning.”

According to police, the fire burned down a one-story house completely, and spread to about eight surrounding houses. The residents of the house which burned down have been unreachable. Two people were injured in the fire and taken to a hospital, where they are reported to be conscious.