Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated Saturday after an apparent smoke or pipe bomb was thrown at the venue where was just about to began a stump speech in the city of Wakayama, followed by a loud explosion. He was later confirmed to be safe, NHK reported.

Video footage showed people who had gathered at the scene running for shelter, while a man was subdued by several others who appeared to be police officers at the scene. A Twitter post also showed that people were escaping from the scene.

Kishida, who was in the city for a speech to support an Liberal Democratic Party candidate for a by-election planned for later this month, left the scene unhurt after the incident, which took place as he was speaking with a candidate of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

The incident comes nine months after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot with a homemade weapon while campaigning for the Liberal Democratic Party in July in Nara Prefecture.