Two members of Japan's hugely popular female pop group AKB48 leave hospital after being attacked during a fan event. Photo/AP
Japanese girl group AKB48 have scrapped a concert in Tokyo to allow two members time to recover from an attack by a saw-wielding thug.
Rina Kawaei, 19, and Anna Iriyama, 18, both suffered broken bones in their right hand as well as cuts to the arms and head as a
result of the horror, which took place during a fan meet-and-greet in Iwate, northern Japan.
They have since undergone successful surgery for their injuries.
But the band's managers decided to cancel a series of the pop group's other commitments, including a gig in Tokyo, so they can recuperate from the incident.
Police have identified the suspect as 24-year-old male Satoru Umeta, who was tackled to the ground by event security and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
