YAMAGUCHI, Japan, April 23 (Kyodo) — Police on Monday searched the office of a glue factory in Yamaguchi Prefecture, operated by Mitsui Chemicals Inc. following Sunday's explosions that killed one worker and injured 22 people.
Investigators are expected to confiscate documents regarding operation standards at the plant in Waki in the western Japan prefecture as they probe the explosions around 2:15 a.m. on Sunday that also broke windows at 400 locations nearby including houses.
Police said an autopsy will be performed on Shota Sunakawa, 22, who died in the accident, to determine the cause of his death. They are questioning officials at the plant on suspicion of professional negligence.
Inspection of the site will not start until Tuesday or later due to flammable gas remaining at the facilities, they added.
Mitsui Chemicals said it will launch an internal probe to investigate the cause of the explosion. The factory suspended all other operations following the explosions, the company said.