Friday, 08 July 2022 | PNS
Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on Friday after he was shot during an election campaign speech. He was campaigning for a parliamentary election. Abe, 67, was shot by a man who has been identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a resident of Nara. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital. Prime Minister Modi said he was shocked and saddened beyond words at the tragic demise of one of his “dearest friends”.
“He (Abe) was a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator. He dedicated his life to make Japan and the world a better place,” Modi said.
“My association with Mr. Abe goes back many years. I had got to know him during my tenure as Gujarat CM and our friendship continued after I became PM. His sharp insights on economy and global affairs always made a deep impression on me,” the Prime Minister said. As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe, one-day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July, Modi said.
Abe was shot from behind minutes after he started his speech Friday in Nara in western Japan. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was pronounced dead later at the hospital.
The 67-year-old Abe was Japan’s longest-serving leader before stepping down for health reasons in 2020.
Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, which shocked people in a country known as one of the world’s safest.
