TOKYO - Police are investigating an injury case after 26 people complained of feeling unwell and 19 were taken to hospital following a suspected pepper spray incident at the luxury shopping complex GINZA SIX in Tokyo’s Ginza district on May 25th.
A police cordon remained in place around the scene on Monday afternoon, with blue sheets covering part of the building’s first floor as forensic investigators continued examining the area.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, a woman called emergency services shortly after noon reporting that there was "something like a pungent smell and everyone is coughing" inside the commercial complex in Chuo Ward. Similar complaints were also made at a nearby police box.
Large numbers of firefighters and ambulances rushed to the scene immediately after the incident, while a Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), typically deployed during major disasters, was also dispatched as the situation briefly caused confusion in the area.
Authorities said 26 men and women reported physical discomfort, with at least 19 transported to hospital. All victims remained conscious and none were believed to be in life-threatening condition.
One witness said injured people continued emerging from inside GINZA SIX, with some clutching their chests.
"By the end, the man was staggering around," another witness said. "He was vomiting. It looked like he inhaled something because he was holding his chest and drinking water before throwing up."
Police said information obtained so far suggests a man sprayed a substance resembling pepper spray near the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation ATM corner on the first floor of GINZA SIX. Investigators believe the substance contained something similar to capsaicin, the active component found in chili peppers.
Investigative sources also said there were reports of a fight involving individuals believed to be foreign nationals, during which one person allegedly sprayed the substance before fleeing the scene, affecting bystanders nearby.
Police are treating the case as an assault investigation and are searching for the suspect who escaped the scene.
Source: TBS
