Crazed arsonist kills five in cash dispute

A man enraged over a money dispute doused a consumer credit company in northern Japan with petrol and set it ablaze, killing five people and injuring four, police said.

The suspect, wearing a grey car repair shop uniform, attacked the Takefuji Corporation consumer credit branch in Aomori state, 360 miles north east of Tokyo, after clerks refused his demand for money, said police spokesman Masayoshi Tanaka.

Tanaka said police did not know whether it was a robbery attempt or a personal credit dispute. The man seen fleeing the scene looked to be in his 40s.

The four injured were taken to a local hospital, but no other details on their conditions were available, Tanaka said.