This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-34897324
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine hit by blast in toilets | Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine hit by blast in toilets |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The public toilets at Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni shrine have been hit by a small explosion. | The public toilets at Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni shrine have been hit by a small explosion. |
No injuries have been reported but the ceiling, floor and wall of the toilet were damaged, local media reported. | No injuries have been reported but the ceiling, floor and wall of the toilet were damaged, local media reported. |
The cause of the explosion has yet to be determined. | The cause of the explosion has yet to be determined. |
Tokyo's metropolitan police said batteries and wires were found at the scene, and suspect the blast may have been a deliberate attempt to attack the shrine. | Tokyo's metropolitan police said batteries and wires were found at the scene, and suspect the blast may have been a deliberate attempt to attack the shrine. |
Along with dozens of fire fighters and police officers, the metropolitan police's bomb squad was also called to the scene, to deal with suspicious unexploded objects. | |
The blast left a hole about 30cm wide in the ceiling, of the toilet block, according to Japan's public broadcaster NHK. | |
The shrine, part of the Shinto religion, was busier than usual on Monday morning with the start of the annual Festival of First Fruits. It was also a public holiday in Japan. | |
The shrine has reportedly cancelled visits to the festival by children, for safety reasons. | |
Yasukuni shrine is dedicated to Japan's war dead, including 14 Second World War "Class A" war criminals. The souls of the dead are worshipped there rather than just remembered. | |
The shrine - and frequent visits to it by politicians, including the current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - is a particular source of friction between Japan and its former Second World War enemies China and the two Koreas. |