Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was quickly rushed away from the chaotic scene
A loud blast was heard as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a speech in the port city of Wakayama on Saturday, creating chaos as the crowd attempted to flee, local media reported. The premier was quickly rushed away from the scene and authorities have taken one suspect into custody.
An explosion rang out around 11:30am local time as the PM prepared to deliver a stump speech at the Saigasaki fishing port, with a man emerging from the crowd and hurling what appeared to be a “smoke bomb” toward Kishida, according to Kyodo News.
Multiple witnesses cited by NHK, including a local city council member, said they saw somebody throw a “cylindrical silver object” immediately before the blast.
The resulting panic was captured on video, showing police officers scuffling with a suspect on the ground as they attempted to subdue him. Bystanders were also seen fleeing in all directions amid the confusion.
きょう午前11時半前、和歌山市の雑賀崎漁港で岸田総理大臣が視察を終えて演説を始める直前に、大きな爆発音がしました。岸田総理大臣は、現場から避難したということです。
最新情報を速報しています👇https://t.co/EQMeVH4jjH#nhk_news pic.twitter.com/JGGGjc1n5H
— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) April 15, 2023
Kishida was unharmed in the incident and safely evacuated from the area, according to Japanese officials cited by local media.
The PM’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated during a public campaign event last year, with a gunman fatally shooting the former leader with a homemade firearm. A 41-year-old veteran of the Japanese military, Tetsuya Yamagami, was arrested at the scene and later confessed to the murder.
DETAILS TO FOLLOW
A loud blast was heard as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began a speech in the port city of Wakayama on Saturday, local media report Read Full Article at RT.com