Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe collapsed during a speech in the city of Nara, in western Japan. Initial reports say he may have been injured. An NHK reporter on-site heard something that sounded like a gunshot and saw Abe bleeding, Japan’s NHK WORLD News reported.
A sound like a gunshot was heard at the time, and a male suspect has been detained, NHK said.Kyodo News said the former premier was not conscious and appeared to be in cardiac arrest.As per Reuters, the chief cabinet secretary will brief the media at 0400 GMT.Abe served two terms as prime minister to become Japan`s longest-serving premier before stepping down in 2020 citing ill health. But he has remained a dominant presence over the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) party, controlling one of its major factions.
