Saitama: Gov. official managing returnees from Wuhan found dead in apparent suicide

SAITAMA (TR) – A male government official tasked with managing returnees from Wuhan, China due to the coronavirus outbreak was found dead at a health institute in Wako City on Saturday in an apparent suicide, reports Jiji Press (Feb. 1).

At around 10:00 a.m., a patient alerted emergency services after finding the official, 37, collapsed near a dormitory at the National Institute of Public Health.

The official, who had been dispatched from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police to the Cabinet Secretariat, was later confirmed dead at a hospital, police said.

Based on evidence at the scene, police police believe he intentionally leaped from the dormitory.

Last week, hundreds of Japanese nationals returned from Wuhan due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. One charter flight arrived in Japan on Friday. The institute is being used for those returnees to reduce the potential spread of the virus.