岩手いわて 北上ほくじょう クマに襲おそわれたか 81歳さい女性じょせいが死亡しぼう 被害ひがい相次あいつぐ

On the 4th, an 81-year-old woman living in a house in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, was found collapsed and bleeding, and was later confirmed dead.

The police are investigating the incident as a bear attack and are urging local residents to refrain from unnecessary outings and to ensure their safety.

Around 7:30 a.m. on the 4th, in a house in Waga Town, Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, Ms. Shigeko Takahashi 81, who lives in the house, was found lying in a pool of blood by her son who came to visit, and he reported it to the police.

When the police and paramedics arrived, Mr. Takahashi was found collapsed in the living room and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the police, Mr. Takahashi had scratches and other wounds on his body that appeared to be caused by an animals claws. In addition, animal hair believed to be from a bear was found in the house. The police are investigating the details, suspecting that he was attacked by a bear.

The site is an area with fields stretching about 900 meters south of Yokogawame Station on the JR Kitakami Line, where houses are scattered around. In recent days, there have been a series of incidents in the area where bears have broken into houses and warehouses, causing damage by eating up rice.

A police cordon was set up in front of the house at the scene, and police officers could be seen going in and out of the residence.

Additionally, police cars and the citys public relations vehicles were driving around the surrounding areas, calling on residents to be cautious of bears.

The police are attempting to capture it by setting traps, while also urging residents to refrain from non-essential outings and to ensure their safety.

According to the police, there have been a series of incidents around the area. In the Yamaguchi district of Waga Town, Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, where the house is located, there have been a total of 9 confirmed cases of bears breaking into houses, sheds, and other buildings between last month and the 3rd of this month.

At first, a bear was spotted in the garage on the 3rd of last month, and then it was seen inside the greenhouse on the 26th of last month.

After that, a total of seven cases of intrusions into sheds and houses were confirmed in succession over the four days from the 30th of last month to the 3rd of this month.

Of these, there have been incidents of rice being ravaged in three cases.

On the 1st of this month, at the house where the rice in the shed was ravaged, a bear broke in twice, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.

According to Kitakami City, in the Yamaguchi area of Waga Town, where the affected homes are located, bears have been breaking into houses and warehouses, eating rice and causing damage for four consecutive days as of the 3rd.

The city set up a crisis management headquarters at noon on the 4th, requested nearby schools to ensure the safety of their students, and set traps in the area to capture the bear.

We have also opened evacuation centers at the Waga District Community Center, the Iwasaki District Community Center, and the Waga Town General Welfare Center, and are urging people who feel uneasy, such as elderly individuals living alone, to evacuate.

Executive Director Eiji Abe of the foundation that operates the citys lodging and training facility near the scene said, I knew that there were frequent bear sightings in the area, but I had heard that bears would run away when they saw people, so I never expected that it would go as far as attacking a person.

Ive heard of cases where bears open or knock down doors to break in, so to be honest, I cant think of any effective countermeasures. All we can do is make sure to keep everything locked up, he said.

Shelter Center Director: Those who are anxious should evacuate. Kiyoto Sasaki, the director of the Iwasaki District Community Center, one of the shelters opened by Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, said, I am extremely surprised that something so serious has happened.

There is a school nearby, so Im worried about whether the children are safe.

We have prepared the shelter thoroughly, so if you feel even a little uneasy, we want you to evacuate, they said.