A strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit southern Japan, triggering a second tragedy. Less than an hour after the tremor, a massive explosion ripped through the largest shopping mall in Kumamoto Prefecture, reducing part of the building to rubble.
According to rescue officials, eight people have been pulled from the debris, three of whom were confirmed dead. Several shopping mall employees remain missing. Search-and-rescue operations are continuing under extremely dangerous conditions, as the region has experienced more than 100 aftershocks, raising fears of further structural collapses.
Aeon President Akio Yoshida said that staff successfully evacuated around 3,000 visitors immediately after the earthquake. However, it was later discovered that some employees had remained inside the building or returned for unknown reasons shortly before the explosion.
The leading cause under investigation is a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) leak. Mall management said this is considered the most likely scenario, although investigators have not yet reached a final conclusion. Military personnel have joined rescue efforts, while Japan’s Prime Minister described the operation as “a race against time.”
