Update: Officials are now reporting the death toll at 33 according to NHK. A few hours ago, “over a dozen” were found in cardiac arrest on the third floor.

Kyoto Animation studio caught on fire earlier today when an arsonist sneaked into the building. The incident has left at least 26 dead and more than 36 injured, including the suspect of the crime.

The fire started around 10.30am local time as residents living near the Kyoto Animation studio reported the sound of an explosion and smoke to the police. The suspect (in his 40s) was allegedly heard saying “Drop dead”. when he poured petrol and ignited the fire.

According to the BBC, the latest reports say that the arsonist has no connections to Kyoto Animation. About 70 people were in the building when the fire initially started, with some still unaccounted for at the time of writing.

Kyoto Animation studio is best known for producing anime like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-On!, and Violet Evergarden. Many fans of the anime studio have expressed their condolences on social media, including several prominent figures and other studios in the industry like YouTuber and voice artist SungWon Cho, Funimation, and more.

i’m horrified to hear about Kyoto Animation, that someone could do something so horrible to people who have brought so much joy is absolutely sickening

— SungWon Cho (@ProZD) July 18, 2019

Our hearts go out to all those affected by the Kyoto Animation Studio fire in Japan.

— Funimation (@FUNimation) July 18, 2019

U.S. anime licensing firm Sentai Filmworks has also gone the extra mile and started a donation fund to help the victims of the Kyoto Animation fire.

Help us help our friends at Kyoto Animation by donating (if you can) or sharing: https://t.co/Fg599lm5Dy

— Sentai 🌞 Filmworks (@SentaiFilmworks) July 18, 2019

(Image Credits: The Verge)