A coffee can exploded at a Nishiarai Station in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward on Monday, leaving a woman injured, with police later taking a man into custody over the incident.
The victim, who is in her 20s, was doused with a liquid due to the explosion and appears to have sustained burns to her face and lower body, while a female station employee who helped the woman was also hospitalized after experiencing discomfort in her hand, police said.
A man in his 40s who police believe was involved in the incident was taken into custody and is being questioned.
The man, who holds Chinese nationality, told investigators that the explosion was not intentional, saying that he had placed a detergent from his workplace in the can to use at home, according to the police.
Police suspect that the explosion may have been caused by a chemical reaction between the detergent and the material of the can.
Security camera footage shows a man place the apparent coffee can nearby before buying a commuter pass and departing the station, investigative sources said.
The footage shows that several minutes passed before the explosion took place at about 4 p.m., NHK reported, adding that a station staff member who heard the blast reported it to police.
An employee at a store near the site of the explosion said she heard what sounded like a popping balloon before noticing a woman crying.
Information from Kyodo added