JAPAN TIMES



 

A strong odor at the Ginza Six shopping mall in central Tokyo prompted emergency calls and left at least 25 people complaining of feeling unwell Monday, police and fire authorities said.

According to reports from NHK, a woman called the police around noon to report a “pungent odor” and that “everyone was coughing,” according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Similar complaints were also made at a nearby police box, TBS reported.
The incident occurred near a bank’s ATM area on the first floor. Several people complained of symptoms including sore throats after police officers and emergency personnel arrived at the scene.

According to TBS, 25 people, both men and women, have reported feeling unwell, and 14 of them — two men and 12 women — have been taken to the hospital. A total of 53 fire department vehicles, including fire engines, had been dispatched.

Police and the Tokyo Fire Department are investigating the cause of the odor. According to police, a man wearing a black jacket, light-colored pants, and a white mask sprayed something in the ATM area.

A woman who was at the shopping mall told NHK, “When I tried to go inside, the air felt strange, and everyone around me was covering their mouths.

When I went into the ATM area, my throat felt scratchy and numb, so I immediately went outside and called the fire department. My throat is still scratchy now.”

Ginza Six is one of Tokyo’s best-known luxury shopping malls.