Updated on: June 2, 2026 / 7:30 AM EDT
/ CBS/AFP
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A bear attack left four people injured in two factories and a residential area in northern Japan's Fukushima on Tuesday, police and media reports said.A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year, and there has been a jump in sightings as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation."A bear-related human injury incident... occurred in Fukushima City, injuring four people," the prefectural police said in a statement.The bear was first spotted in a car parts factory, prompting an emergency call explaining that "employees had been bitten," the Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported, citing police and fire department officials. The outlet reported the bear still had not been located.As the bear continued its rampage, two other people were injured, one in a residential area and the other on the premises of an electronic equipment manufacturer nearby, the Yomiuri said, adding that the animal was thought to have remained inside the factory.The report said one of those attacked was heavily injured, while the rest suffered only mild injuries.In the last fiscal year to March, bear sightings nationwide topped 50,000, more than double the previous record set two years earlier, according to official data.
