72-year-old may have blown himself up in Utsunomiya park, media reports suggest

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Two apparent explosions have hit the Japanese city of Utsunomiya, killing one person and injuring three others in what police are viewing as a possible suicide.

Japanese media reports suggest that the victim, believed to be a 72-year-old former military officer, may have set his house on fire, blown up his car in a public car park and then blown himself up in a nearby park.

A note found in the clothing of the badly burnt victim included the name of the former officer, the Japanese broadcaster NHK and other media reported. The name was not disclosed. One of the cars destroyed in a blaze in the car park belonged to the retired military man, and his house burned to the ground earlier on Sunday, the reports said.

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The back-to-back loud bangs in the park and parking lot shocked bystanders, many heading to a festival at the park on a sunny autumn day. The apparent blasts occurred at around 11.30am within about 200 metres of each other. The festival was cancelled after the incidents.

Two men were seriously injured in the park explosion, and a 14-year-old boy had minor leg injuries. No one was hurt at the small car park.

The agency Kyodo News said the burnt body was found after police received a call saying a person was on fire following what sounded like an explosion.

Bystanders also reported hearing loud blasts from the car park. Flames and black smoke shot into the air and repeated bangs could be heard on video posted on the Asahi newspaper’s website. Nearby cars also were damaged.

Utsunomiya, the capital of Tochigi prefecture, is a city of about 500,000 people about 60 miles (100km) north of Tokyo. It is near the popular tourist destination of Nikko.