A woman died and a man was listed in critical condition after they were found aflame Sunday evening on a street in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, police said.
A local man called the fire department about two people on fire on a private street in the Miyakubo area at about 4:45 p.m., according to Ichikawa Police Station.
The woman was confirmed dead at the scene, while the man was rushed to a hospital.
Residents extinguished the fire by covering the two with a blanket, the police said.
They said a couple in their 60s living nearby were missing. They found a plastic container holding what appeared to be kerosene and a cigarette lighter on the ground in front of their house.
"I heard a moan and I went out, then I saw about 30 people gathered there," said a nearby resident. "They were pouring water on two people lying on the ground."