Japan’s financial crisis has led to disputes over money — disputes resulting in hostage-takings! Blast Kills Three in Japan Hostage Incident:
Three people were killed and 34 injured in an explosion after a man, wielding a knife and cross bow and demanding back pay, took hostages in an office in the Japanese city of Nagoya on Tuesday and set the area alight.Paper and glass flew and screams could be heard as the blast ripped through the third floor office of a delivery firm in the industrial city, 170 miles west of Tokyo.
Public broadcaster NHK said the three dead were the hostage-taker, the manager of the office and a police officer.
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Media reports said 52-year-old Noboru Beppu, thought to be a contract driver with the firm, had stormed into the office about three hours before the blast, doused the area with a liquid and threatened to set the building on fire if he was not paid three months’ wages of about 250,000 yen ($2,129).He then used a sofa and desks to barricade himself in the office along with eight hostages, all but one of whom were released before the explosion.
When the man set off the explosion by setting fire to the liquid, fire fighters, police and television crews were already on the scene.
By the way, it looks like he was plenty dangerous without a gun.