Aeon Mall Explosion a 'Man-Made Disaster'

Seven days have passed since the earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture with a maximum seismic intensity of 7 on Japan's scale. The confirmed death toll has risen to 38 as extreme heat, water outages and difficult living conditions continue to threaten survivors.

A woman in her 70s was found unconscious inside a vehicle on August 2 and was later confirmed dead. She was suspected of suffering heatstroke, and Kumamoto Prefecture said her death may be the first disaster-related fatality linked indirectly to the series of earthquakes.

The temperature in Kumamoto City reached 40.3 degrees Celsius on August 3, meeting the threshold for what Japanese weather authorities describe as a day of exceptionally severe heat. Authorities urged residents to take precautions as dangerous temperatures complicated recovery work across the disaster area.

Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and Distribution said electricity had been restored throughout Kumamoto Prefecture by July 31. However, about 45,000 households remained without running water, according to the transport ministry.

Construction of temporary housing began on August 3 in affected cities and towns, with residents expected to begin moving in by late August.

In Mashiki, which recorded the maximum seismic intensity of 7, some residents continued living in sheds beside their collapsed homes despite the prolonged heat.

One woman remained in a small building without air conditioning after suffering fractures to her chest and back when she was trapped by debris inside her home. Although she had become able to sit up, she said getting out of bed remained extremely painful.

She had undergone a CT scan at a hospital and was given a brace and pain medication, but she said she was unable to live at an evacuation center because of her injuries. Family members brought her drinks and helped her through the day.

Electricity had been restored to the property, allowing the family to use a refrigerator, but the shed had no air conditioner. They relied on an electric fan while also struggling with mosquitoes at night.

Her son sometimes slept in a vehicle because of the cramped and uncomfortable conditions. The woman said seeing her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren helped lift her spirits, but the family was still waiting for medical and daily-living support, including an adjustable electric bed.

Medical teams from across Japan have been deployed to support hospitals, deliver supplies and assess the needs of affected communities. About 70 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, involving roughly 400 personnel, were operating in Kumamoto.

Officials said their work included identifying urgent needs and arranging deliveries of supplies and additional personnel. With temperatures reaching disaster-level extremes, transporting water to evacuation centers and care facilities had become as important as providing medical treatment.

A support team from Osaka was assigned to distribute bottled water. At one collection point, cardboard boxes filled with water were piled across a parking area, with some left outside because more had arrived than could immediately be distributed.

Workers said the boxes could deteriorate if exposed to rain and heat, making rapid distribution essential.

The team traveled to evacuation centers in Yatsushiro, where water supplies remained disrupted. Some shelters already had enough water and asked the team to take the supplies elsewhere, highlighting the difficulty of obtaining accurate information about shortages.

At another evacuation center, supplies were running low, and the team delivered 20 boxes of water.

Support workers said the central problem was not necessarily a lack of donated goods, but the difficulty of determining where supplies were needed and delivering them efficiently. Needs also changed from day to day, requiring teams to visit facilities directly to confirm conditions.

Attention has also focused on the explosion at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, where seven people were killed after the earthquake.

One of the victims was 22-year-old Kumi Otake, who worked at a cosmetics store on the mall's second floor. A relative described her as cheerful, serious, hardworking and well liked by everyone around her.

Otake had successfully evacuated from the mall after the earthquake and had contacted her family to say she was safe.

According to her family, Otake happened to meet an aunt who was shopping at the mall. When Otake said she had to return to the store to place the day's sales proceeds in a safe, the aunt urged her not to go back because it was dangerous.

The family said Otake nevertheless felt compelled to follow instructions from her employer because she was highly responsible and conscientious.

She and a co-worker returned to the store after being told to secure the sales proceeds. The explosion occurred about five minutes later.

After seeing footage of the blast, a relative contacted Otake's mother and asked her to call her daughter. By then, Otake could no longer be reached.

A male relative said he had blamed himself and was so distressed that he could not eat. The family said its grief had increasingly turned to anger.

"I think it was a man-made disaster," the relative said.

Executives from the company that employed Otake later met with the family and acknowledged that she had been asked to return to the mall.

A company representative said employees had been told, "If possible, could you put the sales proceeds in the safe?" The representative confirmed that the instruction had been given.

Company officials apologized to the family and presented a written explanation, but Otake's relatives demanded a full account of what had happened.

"Our daughter is not coming back," one family member said. "Please tell us the truth."

Another family member told the executives, "You should have stopped her. You should have told her to go home."

The company again apologized.

Source: KTV NEWS