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Japan PM rushed to safety after object thrown at him and blast heard Japan PM evacuated unharmed after explosion following suspected attack
(32 minutes later)
Man detained after what looked like a smoke bomb was thrown at Fumio Kishida while he delivered a speechMan detained after what looked like a smoke bomb was thrown at Fumio Kishida while he delivered a speech
Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, was evacuated unhurt after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday, domestic media reported. The Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, was evacuated unharmed after an explosion at a western port, while a suspect was apprehended for allegedly throwing the explosive, local media reported.
A loud explosion was heard but Kishida took cover and was unharmed while police subdued a man at the scene, public broadcaster NHK said. Kishida was visiting the Saikazaki port in Wakayama prefecture on Saturday, to support his ruling party’s candidate in a local election. The explosion occurred just before he was to begin his speech, NHK said. No injuries were reported and Kishida was taken to Wakayama prefectural police headquarters, it added.
The incident occurred at the Saikazaki fishing harbour in Wakayama prefecture, about 65km south-west of Osaka. “Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue,” Kishida said when he resumed his campaign speeches.
Japan has bolstered security after the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot and killed while speaking at a campaign event in July 2022. “I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together.”
Kishida had just started to deliver the speech after touring the harbour when Saturday’s incident occurred, NHK said. Byelections in various regions for the lower house of Japan’s parliament are being held later this month.
Kishida was to continue his Saturday afternoon campaign schedule after the incident, the LDP confirmed via its Twitter account. The incident comes only nine months after former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara. The assassination shocked the nation and a subsequent investigation found holes in Abe’s security and led to reinforcement of Japan’s police security measures.
NHK footage showed crowds running away as several police officers appeared to pin a man to the ground before removing him from the scene. The man appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, media said. The suspected attack also comes as a series of Group of Seven ministerial meetings begins this weekend ahead of the May summit that Kishida will host in Hiroshima.
A representative of Wakayama’s prefectural police headquarters said he could not answer questions about the incident. A man believed to be a suspect was arrested at the scene. NHK footage showed several uniformed and plainclothes police officers gathered around the man, pressing him to the ground and dragging him to the side. The suspect, identified only as a young male, allegedly threw the explosive, NHK said.
A woman at the scene told NHK that she saw an object flying overhead and “it gave me a bad feeling, so we ran away unbelievably fast. Then we heard a really loud noise. It made my daughter cry.” One witness told NHK she was among the crowd and saw something come flying from behind and that there was a sudden loud noise and she fled with her children. Another witness said people were screaming and that he saw someone being apprehended right before the explosion occurred.
A man at the scene told the broadcaster that “when we all stopped in front of the podium, someone started saying ‘culprit!’ or something, or ‘an explosive was thrown,’ so everyone started dispersing fast.” A man at the scene told the broadcaster that “when we all stopped in front of the podium, someone started saying ‘culprit!’ or something, or ‘an explosive was thrown’, so everyone started dispersing fast.
“And then, about 10 seconds after the culprit was captured, there was a blast,” he said.“And then, about 10 seconds after the culprit was captured, there was a blast,” he said.
Kishida is to host a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima next month. G7 foreign ministers are to meet on Sunday in the resort city of Karuizawa. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report