Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated Saturday after an apparent bomb — followed by a loud explosion and rising white smoke — was thrown at the venue where he was about to begin a stump speech in the city of Wakayama. He was later confirmed to be safe.
Report informs via The Japan Times that investigators confiscated two cylindrical objects from the scene believed to be explosive devices, NHK reported. One exploded during the incident, while the other was seized by a police officer as the suspect — Ryuji Kimura, a 24-year-old from Kawanishi, Hyogo Prefecture — was being held down, the broadcaster said. The suspect has so far not responded to police questioning, NHK said.
No injuries were reported following the incident.
Video footage showed people at Saikazaki Fishing Port in Wakayama running for shelter at around 11:25 a.m., while a man was subdued first by what appeared to be two local fishermen. Several others — possibly police officers at the scene — then held the suspect on the ground. A Twitter post also showed that people were escaping from the scene.
Kishida, who was visiting the port for a speech to support a Liberal Democratic Party candidate for a by-election planned for later this month, left the scene unhurt after the incident, which took place as he was speaking with a candidate of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Police later arrested the suspect, a 24-year-old man, at the scene for forcible obstruction of business. He was then taken to a nearby police station for questioning.