Saitama: Three people were found dead in the yard of a house in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on Sunday morning, and a man who trespassed into the house has fled the scene, according to local police.

As the three–a man and two women–had external wounds, the police launched an investigation, suspecting that they were murdered.

The man at large is wearing a black outfit and a black face mask and possibly carrying a shoulder bag and a blunt object, according to police sources.

At around 7:15 a.m. (10:15 p.m. Saturday GMT), the police received an emergency call saying that people were making a row at the house. Police officers rushed to the scene and found the three lying in the yard.

An ambulance team later arrived there and confirmed that they were dead.

There was also a report at around 7:25 a.m. from a nearby resident saying that smoke was coming from the second floor of the house.

The fire was put out in about an hour and a half after partially burning the house.

The house is located in a residential district about 1.5 kilometers southwest of Hanno Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line.

JIJI Press