Man held after 15 injured in Japan knife, bleach attack

A man has been arrested after stabbing eight people and wounding seven others with a substance believed to be bleach at a rubber factory in central Japan.

Eight people were taken to hospitals after being stabbed with a knife by a man at the Yokohama Rubber Company in Mishima city in Shizuoka prefecture, west of Tokyo, according to a statement from the Fujisan Nanto Fire Department.

The fire department told The Associated Press that five of the stabbed people were in serious condition but other details were not available.

Shizuoka prefectural police said the 38-year-old attacker was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at the factory, but did not provide further details.

According to information from Kyodo news agency based on investigative sources, the attacker is believed to be a former employee of the factory.

Japanese newspaper Asahi reported that the suspect was carrying a survival knife and wearing what appeared to be a gas mask.

The fire department said seven people were injured by bleach thrown at them during the attack and were taken to hospitals for treatment.

Japan has strict gun control laws and is known for keeping violent crime rare, but there have been a number of high-profile stabbing attacks in recent years.