Two members of Japanese pop group AKB48 and one of their staff were hospitalised after a saw-wielding man attacked them at a fan event.
The Guardian reports that Rina Kawaei, 19, and Anna Iriyama, 18, both broke bones in their right hands and received cuts on their arms and heads caused by the 50cm saw.
Police arrested the 24-year-old man at the incident that took place in Iwate in northern Japan.
The Yomiuri daily said that the two women were in a booth meeting fans when the man in the queue produced a saw.
Staff and security guards at the event pounced on the attacker and restrained him until the police arrived. Police said that the man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
“We have started questioning the suspect this morning to know details, including his motive,” a detective with Iwate prefectural police told AFP.
The pop group, AKB48, is part talent show and part pop act, where 100 women compete for a chance in the limelight each time a hit is released – so no line-up is the same.
They’re one of the most successful acts of all time because of their rotating line-up and have a large fan-base across Asia.
(Image: AKB48 on Facebook)
