A Chinese man in his 30s died Saturday after apparently hanging himself in a detention cell at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Office in Minato Ward, an immigration official said.
The man, whose name, job and other personal information were withheld, was due to be deported for overstaying his visa, Tokyo immigration office spokesman Yuji Hirakawa said.
The man was found on the floor unconscious and hanging from a hot pot cord tied to a window handle in the cell at 9:14 a.m. Friday. He was sent to a nearby hospital but confirmed dead at 2:48 a.m. Saturday, Hirakawa said.
The detention cells in the immigration office have some home appliances, but the cords are usually taken away from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., he said. No suicide letter was found.
Hirakawa declined to say when the immigration office detained the man or when his visa expired.
Cells in the Tokyo Regional Immigration Office are typically used for detentions lasting up to two months, while the detention center in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, is for longer-term detentions, he said.
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