Three people were found dead in a car in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, on Saturday in a suspected group suicide, police said.

The police tentatively identified the three as a 20-year-old man, a man in his 30s and a 46-year-old woman.

The three apparently died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the police said. Three charcoal stoves were found in the vehicle and the windows of the car were sealed from the inside with adhesive tape.

The police said a nearby resident found the car at around 4:20 p.m. and notified the police.

Charcoal stoves have frequently been used to induce carbon monoxide poisoning in group suicides in Japan, which are often organized by people who meet over the Internet.