Around 20 people were injured after a man sprayed an unidentified substance inside a luxury shopping complex in Tokyo’s Ginza district on Monday, prompting a large emergency response and the evacuation of parts of the building, police and fire officials said.

Tokyo police spokesperson Yusuke Koide said the suspect sprayed the substance near an automated teller machine on the ground floor. A fire department official reported that dozens of people complained of irritation and a strong smell, which led to emergency calls from inside the building.

Authorities quickly cordoned off surrounding streets in the busy shopping area, halting traffic around the mall. Fire engines lined nearby roads as emergency crews in protective gear entered the complex. Some visitors and workers were escorted out while specialist teams checked air quality and searched for contamination.

An AFP reporter at the scene saw two individuals being placed onto stretchers and into ambulances. Firefighters wearing hazmat suits assisted in moving people from the building into specialised vehicles for medical assessment. Shops in the area were temporarily closed while investigations continued.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that most of the injuries appeared to be minor, with affected individuals treated for discomfort linked to exposure. Officials have not released details on the exact nature of the substance, and police said investigations were ongoing to determine what was used and whether the act was intentional.

The Ginza district, known for its high-end retail stores and heavy foot traffic, often sees large numbers of shoppers, making rapid response measures critical in incidents of this kind. Authorities said safety checks would continue in the area as part of standard procedure following the alert.

Police said they were reviewing security camera footage from inside and around the building and speaking with witnesses who were present at the time of the incident. Officers also remained at the scene through the afternoon as a precaution while environmental safety checks were carried out. Nearby businesses reported temporary disruption due to restricted access, though officials said normal operations would resume once the area was declared safe.

US President Donald Trump has said ongoing negotiations over the conflict involving Iran are teetering on the “borderline” between reaching a diplomatic agreement and a return to renewed military strikes, as tensions continue to rise across the region.

The remarks came as Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran for fresh talks aimed at de-escalating the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. His visit follows a series of high-level diplomatic engagements involving Pakistani officials and Iranian leadership in recent days.

Munir was received in Tehran by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, alongside Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who has also travelled to the Iranian capital multiple times this week for meetings with senior officials.

Despite the renewed diplomatic activity, Iran has downplayed expectations of a breakthrough. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the visit did not signal any decisive shift in negotiations, describing the differences between the parties as “deep and extensive,” according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.

Speaking at a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Sweden, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been limited progress in the discussions but cautioned against optimism.

“There’s a little bit of movement and that’s good,” Rubio said, adding that he did not want to exaggerate developments. He also warned that Washington retains “other options” if diplomacy fails, echoing Trump’s earlier comments that military action remains on the table if Iran does not agree to terms.

Trump has previously stated that he paused consideration of a strike due to what he described as “serious negotiations” taking place, but has repeatedly warned that the fragile ceasefire reached in mid-April could collapse.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained committed to talks despite what he called repeated breaches of diplomacy by Washington. He said Iran was participating “with a responsible approach and with all seriousness” in an effort to secure what he described as a fair outcome, according to Iranian state media.

A key point of contention remains the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime route through which a significant share of global oil and gas supplies pass. Iranian actions in the waterway and US responses have heightened fears of wider economic disruption.

Iran has effectively restricted access through the strait, while US Central Command has reportedly blocked Iranian ports and redirected commercial vessels since mid-April. The European Union has since expanded its sanctions framework targeting those involved, calling the blockade contrary to international law.

Rubio said allied nations were also discussing contingency plans in case negotiations fail, warning that the situation may require a “plan B” if diplomatic efforts collapse.