A 71-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman is dead after the elderly man set himself alight aboard a bullet train in Japan Tuesday morning, according to the New York Times. 

The man, whose name is being withheld, doused himself and parts of the train's interior with a flammable liquid before igniting himself with a cigarette lighter, witnesses said.

Several passengers also stated that the man seemed very disoriented and confused. According to the Japanese national public broadcaster, NHK, the man had placed 1,000 yen (worth about $8) on a woman's tray table and stated: "I've found some money. Take it."

The woman witnessed the man dousing himself in gasoline and told him to stop but he wouldn't listen. He stated: "You're in danger. Get out of here."

The other fatality was a 50-year-old woman. She was found in the back of the lead car and was taken to the hospital. But, she was pronounced dead two hours later. Police said that the victim hasn't been visibly burn, but they didn't rule out smoke inhalation.

According to CNN, the fire started near the toilet area of the train. It is not known why the man decided to set himself on fire.

Other Japanese news outlets are reporting that some passengers reported hearing an explosion at the rear of the lead car, near where the woman was found, around the time the man set himself on fire. With the whirl of smoke, fire and chaos, however, it was not immediately clear whether there had been a separate explosion.

The bullet train traveling from Tokyo to Osaka on Tuesday morning was forced to make an emergency stop near the city of Odawara, 45 miles southwest of Tokyo.

The incident halted train service on the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Osaka, two major Japanese cities.