Accused arrested after explosion prompts evacuation of Japanese PM Fumio Kishida from speech venue

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was on Saturday evacuated from a venue in Wakayama city after an explosion was heard. As per Japanese officials, Kishida was safe and unharmed in the incident.

Video footage released in Japanese public media showed members of the public fleeing and a man being arrested following the incident.

Mr. Kishida was about to give an outdoor speech at the venue of the Japanese port city when an explosion-like sound was heard on the scene.

Mr. Kishida’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated at close range on the 8th of July, 2022, when he was delivering a speech at a political campaign rally event in the city of Nara.

Local news agency Kyodo news reported that a man had been arrested after throwing “what appeared to be a smoke bomb.”