by TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was unharmed after an explosion was heard at a port where he was scheduled to give a speech on the country’s west coast on Saturday, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Kishida was at the port of Saikazaki in the western Wakayama prefecture to speak when someone shouted, authorities surrounded a man and the sound of an explosion was heard, the Japanese broadcaster said.
The sound was accompanied by smoke, but no injuries or signs of combustion were reported, NHK reported, adding that Kishida was escorted to a vehicle by security.
The prime minister had just finished trying some food at the port and was about 65 feet from where the incident occurred, the broadcaster said.
Kishida later apologized for the incident.
“The police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the site of the previous speech,” he said when he resumed his campaign speeches, in a video broadcast by NHK. “I am sorry that I caused many people to worry. We are in the midst of an important election for our country. We must carry this forward together.”
The incident occurred some nine months after Kishida’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was killed during a campaign rally in the western city of Nara, near Kyoto.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told Reuters police had been instructed to increase security and the government would do whatever was necessary to ensure safety at the upcoming Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima.
Matsuno said the government would await the results of the police investigation before commenting on a potential motive for the suspect.
Kishida will host a G7 summit in Hiroshima next month. Japan’s foreign ministry said after Saturday’s incident that there would be no change to the security plan for a G7 foreign ministers meeting that begins Sunday in the resort town of Karuizawa.
Arata Yamamoto reported from Tokyo and Dennis Romero from Los Angeles.
