A 23-year-old woman has died after a man fell from a high-rise apartment building and landed on her while she was walking along a pavement in Nagoya, central Japan, early on Sunday.
Police said the victim, identified as Houra Inaba, was struck when 29-year-old Shinsei Taguchi either fell or jumped from a 12-storey apartment building in Naka Ward at around 1am local time. Authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Emergency services were alerted after a woman called Japan’s emergency hotline, reporting that someone had fallen from a building and landed on her friend.
Inaba was rushed to hospital but later died at around 5.30am from haemorrhagic shock caused by her injuries.
Taguchi also sustained critical injuries in the fall and remains unconscious in hospital. Investigators have not yet determined whether he fell accidentally or intentionally, and it is still unknown from which floor of the apartment building he fell.
The incident occurred about 500 metres northeast of Yabacho Station on Nagoya’s Meijo subway line, an area known for its residential and commercial buildings.
Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fall and are appealing for witnesses as enquiries continue.
