Higashinaruse: An apparent bear attack near a village office in northeastern Japan has left one man dead and three others seriously injured, local police said. Police reported that the municipal office of Higashinaruse Village in Akita Prefecture made an emergency call at around 11:10 a.m. local time on Friday, alerting authorities to multiple injuries resulting from a bear attack.

According to Namibia Press Agency, officers who arrived at the scene discovered three men and a woman collapsed on the ground about 200 meters from the village office. The victims were bleeding and had sustained wounds, including injuries to the face. All four individuals were transported to a hospital, where a 38-year-old man was confirmed dead.

The attack transpired while a couple in their 70s was working outdoors. The two other victims, both male, had intervened in an attempt to rescue the couple, as reported by village officials. A bear that appeared near the scene was subsequently shot dead shortly after 1:10 p.m. local time the same day. The bear, an adult female approximately 1.2 meters in length with bloodstains on its claws, is believed to have been responsible for the attack.

This incident is part of a recent increase in bear-related encounters across the country.