TOKYO, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Four people on Monday were attacked by a bear in Japan's northeastern prefecture of Akita, with another one tripped when fleeing the scene, according to local authorities.
The four victims in their 60s to 80s, living in a residential area along the Omono River in the prefecture's capital city of Akita, were attacked by a bear and taken to the hospital at around 9 a.m. local time, according to the local police.
All the victims were conscious and able to talk when they were transported, said local media reports, adding that a man in his 80s who saw a bear and fell as he tried to run away also sustained injuries.
The whereabouts of the animal are currently unknown.
Akita Prefecture has seen a higher-than-usual number of bear sightings this year, with a record 30 people injured in attacks, national news agency Kyodo reported on Monday, citing the police.
Also on Monday, an 84-year-old man and a 79-year-old woman were separately attacked by bears in central Japan's Kanazawa and Toyama, suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
From April to July this year, a record number of bear attacks occurred across Japan and 53 cases of injuries were reported, the highest since records began in fiscal 2007, statistics from Japan's environment ministry showed. ■