‘Like volcanic ash falling’: Inside Aeon mall after Japan’s earthquake

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 magnitude struck southern Japan on Tuesday, causing an explosion at one of the region's largest shopping centres in Kumamoto. The blast occurred approximately 50 minutes after the initial quake, destroying portions of the Aeon mall's structure and scattering debris across the parking area. Thousands of shoppers and employees were evacuated by staff in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, but some individuals remained inside or returned to the building before the explosion occurred.

First responders extracted eight people from the partially collapsed mall early Wednesday, including three fatalities. Three shop workers remained unaccounted for, and Aeon officials indicated they were investigating a possible gas leak as a potential cause of the explosion. The incident created a scene of chaos, with witnesses describing being thrown to the ground and engulfed in thick dust. One nearby business owner compared the debris cloud to volcanic ash falling from the sky. Police and firefighters initially hesitated to enter the wreckage due to concerns about further structural collapse amid the more than 100 aftershocks recorded by Wednesday.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi characterised the rescue effort as a race against time, and approximately 170 soldiers were deployed to assist with operations at the site. Aeon President Akio Yoshida reported that staff successfully evacuated roughly 3,000 customers within 30 minutes of the initial earthquake, though some individuals either remained inside or returned for unspecified reasons. The mall had recently reopened after undergoing reconstruction and safety improvements following a magnitude 7.3 earthquake in April 2016 that had caused significant damage to the facility. Despite these enhancements, including seismically reinforced ceilings, the structure sustained substantial damage from the latest event. In a lighter note, rescue workers successfully retrieved all 25 cats from a cat cafe that had been left behind during the emergency evacuation.