Kumamoto - The death toll from the Kumamoto earthquake rose to 36 on the fourth day of the disaster as search operations continued and survivors faced prolonged displacement, extreme heat and widespread water outages.
Inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto, where an explosion occurred shortly after the earthquake, a stopped escalator led to a devastated second-floor shopping area covered in debris.
Drone footage taken on July 30, three days after the explosion, showed rubble scattered across the floor with barely any room to walk. Sunlight streamed into the building through sections where the roof had been blown away, while clouds of dust occasionally rose from the wreckage.
Clothes remained on display inside one store where the ceiling had collapsed.
Search teams continued looking for anyone who may still be trapped inside the mall.
Seven people have been confirmed dead at Aeon Mall Kumamoto. Three of them were employees of major apparel company Onward Holdings.
The mother of a 22-year-old woman who worked at another store and was among the four other victims described how she learned of the explosion and why she believes her daughter had returned to the building.
The mother said she was cleaning up after the earthquake and initially did not know that an explosion had occurred. Her younger daughter showed her a video of the blast, but she thought it might have been fake or generated by artificial intelligence.
She then turned on the television and realized the explosion was real.
"I sent her a message asking, 'Are you all right?' but it was never marked as read," the mother said.
Her daughter worked at a store near the area where the explosion is believed to have occurred and could no longer be contacted after the blast.
"I thought she might have evacuated somewhere," the mother said. "I thought she might be injured, but that she was probably still alive. It must have been terrible for her."
The woman had initially evacuated outside immediately after the earthquake, where she happened to meet a relative. According to her mother, she told the relative that she had to go back inside.
"The relative tried to stop her, but she said, 'I was told I have to put the money in the safe, so I am going back,'" the mother said.
The explosion occurred after she returned to the building.
Her mother believes her daughter and a colleague went back inside under instructions from the store to place the day's sales proceeds in a safe.
"She went back to deposit the money, for the sake of the money," the mother said. "I want the company to clearly explain the truth."
The company operating the store where the woman worked told JNN that it was declining media interviews.
The overall death toll from the earthquake has reached 36.
At around 6 p.m. on July 31, a missing man in his 80s was found in cardiopulmonary arrest inside an Aeon Mall in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture. The man was reportedly trapped beneath rubble while sitting on a sofa inside the building.
At least 1,526 homes are known to have been damaged by the earthquake. Uki began accepting applications for disaster victim certificates, which residents need to receive financial assistance and other support for rebuilding their lives.
Conditions remain severe across the disaster zone, but private efforts and community support are helping residents meet their daily needs.
At a gasoline station in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, large numbers of motorists formed lines after the operator announced that customers would be allowed to fill their tanks.
The home of the Murayama family, which operates the station, was completely destroyed in the earthquake, but the family has continued serving local residents.
One customer said gasoline had been extremely difficult to find and that he had searched on his phone before discovering the station by chance.
"It is a relief. I can go to work tomorrow," the customer said. "I had only one bar left on the fuel gauge. This has been a huge help. Thank you for opening."
Gasoline has also become essential for people sleeping in their vehicles. Station operator Hiroshi Murayama said his family would continue operating despite the difficulties, although their damaged home was no longer suitable for rest.
"There is electricity at an apartment managed by someone I know, so we can stay there, but it has no running water," Murayama said. "I hope the water service is restored as soon as possible."
Elsewhere in Yatsushiro, a construction company has opened its well water to residents affected by the outage.
"Sorry, we have been using it since yesterday," one man told Wataru Takada, head of Takata Construction.
"That is fine. Use as much as you need," Takada replied.
The construction company is designated on the city's disaster preparedness map as a location where residents can obtain well water for daily use during emergencies.
The man, whose home remained without water, visited with his two elementary school-age daughters to brush their teeth and collect water.
About 79,000 households across Kumamoto Prefecture remained without running water.
"I am grateful that places outside the government are also making water available," the man said. "Having several locations nearby also helps spread out the crowds."
One of his daughters said the water felt refreshing.
Residents are using the well water for cleaning, laundry and showers.
"I have gone to the official water distribution station, but the supply was already gone, and I have never been able to receive any," one user said. "This is an enormous help."
The construction company has also opened its container houses to residents.
