Overview
A strong earthquake measuring 7.1 on the magnitude scale shook a major shopping mall in southern Japan on Tuesday, toppling people to the ground and raising dust inside the building. Staff and customers were evacuated, but roughly an hour after the initial tremor a powerful explosion tore through the complex, blowing out storefronts, collapsing parts of the ceiling and scattering debris across the parking lot.
Casualties and search efforts
First responders pulled eight people from the partially collapsed structure early on Wednesday. Among those recovered were three people who were confirmed dead. Mall operator Aeon said four store workers are currently unaccounted for and that it is investigating whether a gas leak played a role in the explosion.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the situation as a "race against time" to reach people still trapped inside the mall and to assist others affected by the earthquake. Around 170 soldiers have been sent to support rescue operations at the site.
Eyewitness accounts and immediate response
Workers inside the mall said the quake shook the building violently, with at least one employee reporting he was thrown to his knees during a 10-second tremor. Another 22-year-old cinema employee said the quake produced a disorienting cloud of dust.
Takateru Sonoda, 41, who operates a combined hair salon and cafe near the mall, said he initially believed a bomb had detonated. "I thought a bomb had gone off," he told news agency Jiji Press. "There were people calling on others to evacuate and sirens were ringing out. Nearby roads were gridlocked, it was a state of panic," Sonoda said.
Following the earthquake, staff followed evacuation protocols, moving more than 200 shoppers and workers to a nearby car park. Many people sought shelter in their vehicles to escape sweltering summer heat. Kyodo news agency reported that some customers re-entered the building before the explosion occurred.
Kazuya Tsurunaga, who was cleaning up broken dishes and glass inside a pub about 300 metres from the mall at the time of the blast, described a large cloud of smoke and particulates descending on his location as wind carried material toward his shop. He told broadcaster TBS that "it was like volcanic ash was falling around us."
Access and aftershocks
For several hours after the explosion, police officers and firefighters were unable to enter the damaged structure because of the risk of further collapse amid ongoing aftershocks. Officials reported that by the end of Tuesday more than 100 aftershocks had been recorded in Kumamoto prefecture.
Video footage later obtained by authorities showed extensive damage inside the mall. A police officer who entered the wreckage filmed large sections of collapsed ceiling, blown-open shop fronts and furniture strewn across floors.
Gas concerns and technical details
Some rescue personnel reported smelling gas at the scene, Japan's government spokesperson Minoru Kihara told a press conference on Wednesday. A television correspondent at the site said an emergency vehicle repeatedly warned people to stay away because of a possible gas leak.
Kihara said the mall used LPG - liquefied petroleum gas - which is delivered in large canisters rather than through a piped distribution system. He noted that piped gas networks are typically set up to shut off automatically if seismic activity exceeds a set threshold or if damage to the pipeline is confirmed, according to a spokesperson for the Japan Gas Association.
An official with the Japan LPG sales association said LPG systems also employ safety mechanisms. Microcomputer-controlled meters will automatically cut supply if they register anomalies such as leaks or pressure fluctuations, and are designed to interrupt LPG supply during seismic activity of intensity 5 or higher. The official added that gas suppliers and specialized safety service providers can remotely shut off LPG supply via radio transmission in emergency situations.
Aeon declined to comment on which gas supplier serves the mall or on specific gas safety procedures. The operator expressed condolences and apologies in a brief statement: "We would like to express our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives," the firm said. "We also extend our sincere apologies to the bereaved families and to those who were injured."
Background on the mall's reconstruction
The mall is the largest in the prefecture and had just reopened last month after a redevelopment project intended to commemorate recovery from a previous deadly tremor. The operator had said the renovation included seismically reinforced ceilings and other safety and resilience upgrades following heavy damage sustained in a magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck Kumamoto in April 2016.
Ongoing uncertainties
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the explosion and to account for the missing store workers. Rescue teams remain cautious about entering unstable sections of the building while aftershocks continue to be recorded.
This report compiles on-the-ground accounts, official statements and observed conditions to provide an account of the incident and the response efforts underway. Details about the investigation into the explosion and the status of missing employees remain subject to confirmation by authorities.