A media report has confirmed that at least 19 people have been taken to the hospital after a strong smell was reported at a shopping complex in Tokyo.

A police spokesperson stated that on Monday, a man sprayed a substance at a cash machine on the ground floor of the luxury Ginza 6 shopping centre.

Authorities believe the substance was an irritant spray containing capsaicin, a compound found in chilli peppers.

However, national broadcaster NHK reported that police are still looking for the suspect.

People near the scene reported that their throats had become painful and itchy, with one 70-year-old woman telling AFP that it began “stinging and hurting” as she approached an ATM.

“By the time I arrived, the commotion had already started, and I thought there might have been a small fire or something,” she said.

“Once I went into the ATM corner, my throat felt scratchy, almost numb.”

According to the BBC, a large emergency response team was present at the scene, including police officers, firefighters, and ambulance personnel.

The BBC reports that the road in front of the centre was blocked off following the incident.

The report, however, claimed that officials dressed in hazmat suits were seen bringing people out of the shopping centre.

The BBC further reports that photographs of the scene show cordons in place, with emergency workers hanging sheets of tarp around part of the mall. (BBC)

•First responders gather after a person allegedly sprayed a substance at a Tokyo shopping center on Monday. Credit : Eugene Hoshiko/AP