Panic erupted at Tokyo’s upscale Ginza Six shopping complex after an unidentified substance was reportedly sprayed near a bank ATM, leaving around 20 people suffering from health complaints and prompting a major emergency response.

Tokyo police said a man was seen dispersing an “unknown substance” around an ATM area located on the first floor of the mall in the capital’s busy Ginza district.

Emergency vehicles and fire crews quickly surrounded the area as authorities restricted access to nearby streets. Television footage broadcast by Nippon TV showed large numbers of emergency personnel outside the complex, including responders wearing hazmat suits.

One emergency worker was seen cleaning what appeared to be residue on a wall inside the building, while other responders entered the shopping center to assist people affected by the incident.

Witnesses described scenes of confusion as ambulances transported several individuals from the mall. According to an AFP report, at least two people were seen on stretchers being loaded into emergency vehicles.

A 70-year-old woman who had been inside the mall said she began experiencing irritation after approaching the ATM area where the substance had reportedly been released.

“By the time I arrived, the commotion had already started, and I thought there might have been a small fire or something,” she said.

“Once I went into the ATM corner, my throat felt scratchy, almost numb.”

Authorities have not yet identified the material involved, and police said an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remains underway.

The event has drawn comparisons to a 2024 incident at the University of Greenwich in Britain, where several people were injured after exposure to another unidentified substance later determined to be non-toxic

Source:Websites