Japan’s PM evacuated after smoke bomb attack

Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, was evacuated from a public event in Wakayama after what appeared to be a smoke bomb was thrown at him.

A man was detained on the scene and later arrested for obstruction of business. Video footage showed police piling on top of the suspect. No injuries were reported. The motivation for the attack is still unclear.

Violent attacks are very rare in Japan, but there is concern over the security of politicians after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead while on the campaign trail last year. After the incident, Mr. Kishida addressed the crowd at another location and emphasized that it should not disrupt the electoral process. A woman at the scene told NHK that she was “stunned”, while a witness described running away “unbelievably fast” after hearing a loud noise.

The incident occurred just after Mr. Kishida began to deliver a speech at a campaign event when an object was thrown, causing him to take cover. Despite the incident, Mr. Kishida addressed another crowd, saying the incident should not disrupt the electoral process. Japan’s public broadcaster NHK quoted Mr. Kishida as saying there was a “loud blast” at the venue. (BBC)