Kumamoto - Three women have been confirmed dead and four employees remain unaccounted for after a powerful explosion tore through Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the region on July 28.
Rescue teams continued searching the extensively damaged shopping center on July 29, working through unstable rubble while aftershocks and the risk of further structural collapse complicated efforts to reach people who may still be trapped inside.
Aeon said four of approximately 2,700 people employed at the mall had not been accounted for. The company said customers were directed outside immediately after the earthquake and employees from the mall's 204 specialty stores and Aeon group businesses subsequently evacuated.
Eight people had been pulled from the building by 9:30 a.m. on July 29. Authorities initially reported that two women believed to be in their 20s had died and another woman was in cardiopulmonary arrest. The confirmed mall death toll was later raised to three.
The explosion occurred at around 6 p.m., roughly 90 minutes after the earthquake struck at 4:27 p.m. Witnesses said the blast sent a wave of pressure through the surrounding area, shattered structures and threw large sections of the mall's exterior across the parking area.
A taxi driver who was waiting about 30 meters from the building said the air suddenly appeared to expand before the wall was blown outward. The force was strong enough to fill the vehicle with dust, leaving the interior completely white, and the driver feared the windshield would shatter.
Images from the scene showed a large portion of the mall reduced to its steel frame. The entrance had collapsed, part of the second floor had fallen in and debris was scattered across the parking lot. Pieces of the exterior wall were left hanging from utility cables, while vehicles outside the building were struck by fragments.
Large numbers of firefighters, police officers and rescue workers entered the damaged structure with heavy machinery during the night. Search operations continued through the morning and afternoon of July 29.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told an emergency disaster response meeting that three people had died at the mall and that several others were believed to remain inside. The government described the rescue operation as a race against time as crews faced repeated aftershocks, extreme summer heat and the possibility of additional sections of the building collapsing.
Initial reports that between 20 and 30 people were unaccounted for were later narrowed after Aeon checked the whereabouts of employees across the mall. The company said four employees remained missing as of the afternoon of July 29.
The cause of the explosion has not been established, but authorities are investigating whether liquefied petroleum gas leaked after the earthquake and accumulated inside the building before igniting.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said firefighters and police officers reported smelling gas when they entered the mall. The facility used LP gas, although Aeon said it was still confirming how the gas was used and where its tanks and related equipment were located.
An explosion expert said the extent of the destruction suggested the possibility of an unusually powerful combustion event in which a pressure wave traveled faster than the speed of sound. The expert said gas may have accumulated because the air-conditioned building was relatively enclosed after shoppers were evacuated. However, the theory has not been confirmed by investigators.
Authorities are also examining whether the earthquake damaged gas pipes, tanks, connections or automatic shutoff equipment and whether the mall's emergency systems operated as intended.
The earthquake struck the Kumamoto region at 4:27 p.m. on July 28, registering the maximum seismic intensity of 7 in parts of the prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency estimated its magnitude at 7.1.
Mall employees began directing customers outside immediately after the shaking. The explosion came later, when many shoppers were already away from the building, potentially preventing a significantly higher casualty toll.
The disaster nevertheless trapped employees and others who remained inside or had re-entered the facility after the evacuation. Investigators are expected to examine why people were still in the building, what safety inspections were conducted following the earthquake and whether warnings of a possible gas leak were detected before the blast.
Aeon President and Representative Executive Officer Akio Yoshida apologized during a news conference in Kumamoto on the afternoon of July 29.
Yoshida said the company took the loss of life extremely seriously and offered condolences to the victims and their families. He also apologized to those injured and to everyone affected by the disaster, saying the company would respond sincerely. Aeon said the explosion appeared to have occurred near the central part of the mall's southern side.
The mall remained closed, with emergency authorities controlling access to the entire site. There was no indication when the search could be completed or when investigators would be able to begin a full examination of the most heavily damaged areas.
Aeon Mall Kumamoto was also affected by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes and had undergone repairs and safety improvements before reopening. The latest disaster is expected to prompt close scrutiny of the building's earthquake resistance, gas infrastructure and post-quake evacuation procedures.
Rescuers continued concentrating on areas where the missing employees were believed to have been working when the explosion occurred. Authorities said the figures could change as the search progressed and the identities and locations of those inside the mall were confirmed.
Source: TBS
