GIFU, Japan - Two people were found dead and three others were taken to hospital after a fire broke out at a cake shop in the central Japanese prefecture of Gifu on Saturday night, police said.
At around 9 p.m. on Saturday, a person in the building in Motosu made an emergency call reporting that a stabbing had occurred and that someone had spread gasoline on the premises, according to the police. The incident took place outside business hours.
The police are investigating the fire as a possible arson case.
The shop is located in a two-story building that also includes a residence.
A 66-year-old woman who runs the shop and 10 acquaintances were inside the building at the time, when the woman was hosting a gathering, and police suspect the culprit was one of them. The woman was among those taken to hospital.
