TOKYO, Oct 25, (Xinhua): 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 said the municipal office of Higashinaruse Village in Akita Prefecture made an emergency call at around 11:10 a.m. local time on Friday that several people had been injured in a bear attack.

Officers who arrived at the scene found three men and a woman collapsed on the ground about 200 meters from the village office, bleeding and sustaining wounds, including injuries to the face, according to police. Police said all four people were taken to hospital, and the 38-year-old man was confirmed dead. The attack occurred when a couple in their 70s was working outdoors, with the two other victims, both male, having come to their rescue, village officials said.

A bear that appeared near the scene was shot dead shortly after 1:10 p.m. local time the same day. The adult female, roughly 1.2 meters in length and with bloodstains on its claws, is believed to have attacked the four people. The latest attack comes amid a recent surge in bear-related incidents across the country.