A 22-year-old influencer has been stabbed to death over an unpaid debt while livestreaming to more than 6,000 followers.

Airi Sato, who filmed her day-to-day life on an app called WhoWatch, was attacked on Tuesday on a Tokyo street by a man to whom she had failed to repay £13,000, police said.

When her feed went dark and emergency sirens could be heard, concerned followers urgently called for help in the live chat.

But it was too late – Ms Sato had been stabbed in the head, neck and stomach, and was dead on arrival at hospital.

Police said that they had arrested Kenji Takano, 42, on suspicion of murder. They added that he had been apprehended at the scene, and although he admitted to the stabbing, he said that he had not intended to kill Ms Sato.

According to the news outlet Asahi, onlookers who heard Ms Sato’s screams from nearby office blocks initially thought Mr Takano was a “good samaritan” helping the victim.