Hokkaido Police Probe Second Suspicious Fire Near Mosque

Mar 04, 2026 | News On Japan

HOKKAIDO, Mar 04, 2026 (News On Japan) - A fire that scorched the exterior wall of a company operated by a Pakistani national was discovered in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, on March 1st, just one day after a mosque located about 400 meters away caught fire, prompting police to investigate the possibility that the two incidents may be connected.

A nearby resident found part of a prefabricated exterior wall burned at an auto parts company in Kakuyama, Ebetsu, at around 5:10 p.m. on March 1st and alerted police.

The damaged section of the wall measured roughly one meter across, but no injuries were reported.

Police suspect the fire may have been deliberately set, noting that there is normally nothing at the site that could have caused it.

The fire occurred just one day after another blaze broke out about 400 meters away on February 28th, when a mosque used by Muslims in the area caught fire.

Source: 北海道ニュースUHB

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