7 found dead in suspected group suicides in Japan

Two men and a woman were found dead Tuesday in a parked car in the town of Ninomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, adding to another four in a similar suspected group suicide in the same prefecture the previous day, Kyodo News reported.

The police have found charcoal stoves inside their cars.

Those died in Monday's case were two men and two women aged from 21 to 35, the report said. The identities of the suicides hadyet to be known.

Group suicides have increased during recent years in Japan. In a quite large proportion of cases, people who want make suicide get to know each other through Internet. Making suicide by inhaling carbon monoxide from charcoal-fueled stoves is a popular means.

In early February, nine people killed themselves in two apparent group suicides the same way.

A latest government survey showed that a record more than 32,000 Japanese committed suicide in 2003, exceeding 30,000 for the sixth straight year.

Most of the suicides end their lives because of bad health or economic problems, such as being heavily indebted. Nearly one-third of the suicides in 2003 were the elderly.

Source: Xinhua