Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe died in hospital on Friday, local media reported, hours after being shot at a political campaign event in an attack condemned as “absolutely unforgivable”.
Citing a senior member of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party, national broadcaster NHK said “former prime minister Abe died at a hospital in Kashihara city, Nara, where he was receiving medical treatment. He was 67.”
The death was also reported by other broadcasters as well as the Japanese news agencies Jiji and Kyodo.
Hidetada Fukushima, professor of emergency medicine at Nara Medical University Hospital, said that Shinzo Abe sustained two wounds on front of his neck, about 5cm apart.
One of the bullets penetrated the heart. He said they conducted blood transfusions but were ultimately unable to stop the bleeding.
A news conference is now being held at Nara Medical University hospital.
Medics at the hospital say that Shinzo Abe had no vital signs when he arrived at the hospital but that they conducted resuscitation.
“It was extremely serious, it was very grave,” the medic said of his condition on arrival. He had two wounds in the neck and subcutaneous haemorrhage. Abe was confirmed dead at 5.03pm.
