Key takeaways:
- An explosive device was thrown in the direction of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida while he was campaigning in a fishing port in western Japan.
- The suspect who threw the device was arrested on charges of “obstruction of business by force”.
- Prime Minister Kishida was quickly evacuated from the scene and is reportedly in good health.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was unharmed after an explosive device was thrown in his direction while he was campaigning in a fishing port in western Japan on Saturday.
The incident occurred at Saikazaki Port in western Wakayama Prefecture, where Kishida had just finished sampling fish. Video of the incident showed smoke filling the air as police wrestled a suspect to the ground and screaming bystanders scrambled to get away from the scene.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference that the suspect who threw the device at Kishida had been arrested on charges of “obstruction of business by force.” A young man believed to be the suspect was arrested at the scene after he allegedly threw “the suspicious object.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what the explosive device was or how many the suspect had. However, several reports, including by Kyodo news agency, said an apparent “smoke bomb” had been thrown but there were no signs of injuries or damage at the scene.
Prime Minister Kishida was quickly evacuated from the scene and is reportedly in good health. The incident is currently under investigation and more information is expected to be released in the coming days.
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