Around 20 individuals sustained injuries at an upscale shopping complex in central Tokyo on Monday following an incident where a man dispersed an unidentified substance within the premises, according to Japanese officials.
Incident Details
A Tokyo police spokesperson reported that a man discharged a substance near an automated teller machine on the ground floor. A local fire department official noted that 'approximately 20 people were harmed' after receiving reports of a peculiar odour.
Response and Scene
The thoroughfare in front of the mall, situated in the bustling and affluent Ginza shopping district, was cordoned off after the event, with fire engines lining the street. Nevertheless, shoppers continued to access the building through side entrances.
An AFP journalist at the location observed two individuals on stretchers being loaded into an ambulance, while firefighters and personnel in hazmat suits escorted people from the mall to specialised vehicles for assessment. The public broadcaster NHK indicated that the injuries appeared to be minor.
Witness Account
A 70-year-old woman who was present at the mall told NHK that her throat began to 'sting and hurt' as she approached the ATM. 'By the time I arrived, the commotion had already started, and I thought there might have been a small fire or something,' she recounted. 'Once I went into the ATM corner, my throat felt scratchy, almost numb.'
Investigation
Police are currently probing the cause of the incident, a fire department officer at the scene confirmed.
Violent crime is comparatively uncommon in Japan, which boasts a low homicide rate and some of the world's strictest firearm regulations. However, the nation does witness occasional stabbing attacks and shootings, including the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.
In December of the previous year, 14 people were injured in a stabbing incident at a factory in central Japan, during which an unspecified liquid was also sprayed.
Japan remains haunted by the memory of a major subway attack in 1995, when members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released sarin gas on trains, resulting in 14 fatalities and illnesses in over 5,800 individuals.
This is a developing news story.
