19 hospitalized after alleged spraying incident in Tokyo's Ginza

According to police, a woman at the scene made an emergency call around noon, reporting a "pungent smell" and saying "everyone is coughing" at the Ginza Six shopping complex.

Surveillance footage shows a man spraying an unknown substance inside the facility before the emergency call was made. He is believed to have fled the scene, and police are currently searching for him.

None of those hospitalized were in a life-threatening condition, police said.

The incident occurred about 200 meters southwest of Tokyo Metro's Ginza Station.

A woman in her 50s who was near the scene said she saw multiple pedestrians covering their mouths and added that her throat "still feels numb and painful."

Earlier, it was reported that at least 28 people were killed and two others went missing after an illegally operated gold mine collapsed in Agola, authorities said on Sunday.