Opposing Abe's state funeral man sets self ablaze near PM's office

TOKYO: A man set himself on fire on the street near Japan Prime Minister's office in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo to oppose the state funeral for the former PM Shinzo Abe, a local media reported. Japanese TV Asahi said that the man burned himself after telling the police that he was "opposed to the state funeral."

Before 7 am, the police received the call from the street near the PM's official residence in Nagata-Cho, Chiyoda-ku, saying that "people are burning".

According to investigative sources, the man set himself on fire, and the police officer who tried to extinguish it was also burned, and the two were taken to the hospital.

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the details of the incident, including collecting surveillance camera footage in the surrounding area, as per TV Asahi. Abe was shot on July 8 in the Japanese city of Nara during his campaign speech.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, approached the politician from behind and fired two shots from a distance of about 10 meters (33 feet). According to local media, the Japanese government has scheduled the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for September 27.

The attacker reportedly plotted the assassination of the 67-year-old former head of government for nearly a year. Abe sustained two gunshot wounds to the front of his neck and the bullet that killed him damaged his heart and a major artery, causing blood loss, Hidetada Fukushima, the head of emergency services at Nara Medical University Hospital said.

According to Dr Fukushima, Abe went into cardiopulmonary arrest at the site of the attack and lost vital signs during transportation, the Wall Street Journal reported. Doctors attempted a blood transfusion after they were unable to stop the bleeding, Dr Fukushima said.

Shinzo Abe arrived at a hospital without any vital signs after being shot during a campaign speech in western Japan.

Abe, Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was Prime Minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida.