Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unhurt on Saturday after a suspect threw an explosive device while he was campaigning in western Japan.

Japan's public broadcaster NHK said on Saturday that Kishida was visiting Saikazaki port in Wakayama Prefecture to support his ruling party’s candidate in a local election, and the explosion occurred just before he was to begin his speech.

Witnesses said a man threw a silver device and a large explosion was heard followed by white smoke.

A police officer reportedly suffered a minor injury, but no injuries among the crowd were reported in the incident.

A man was detained at the scene and later identified by authorities as 24-year-old Ryuji Kimura.

The incident echoed the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Kishida's predecessor, who was shot with a homemade gun last July while giving a speech among a crowd on a campaign trail.