▲ Part of a large shopping mall lies in ruins following an explosion triggered by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto, western Kyushu, on the afternoon of the 28th.
Videos filmed right after the earthquake at AEON Mall Kumamoto, a large shopping center in western Kyushu’s Kumamoto Prefecture hit by a magnitude 7.1 strong earthquake followed by an explosion and partial collapse, are conveying the tense situation at the time.
Videos published on the Asahi Shimbun website on the 29th show visitors desperately evacuating the shopping mall, cutting through thick white smoke that filled the indoor space seemingly right after the explosion.
While the cause of the shopping mall explosion and collapse has not yet been officially announced, the possibility of a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) leak is being raised.
Kumamoto Prefecture initially announced that 10 people were unaccounted for and presumed to be inside the mall until the night of the 28th following the partial collapse of the AEON Mall, but starting from the 29th, it has grown cautious about compiling precise figures, stating that it is "verifying," raising concerns that the scale of casualties could grow larger.
Footage from the videos shows many shopping mall visitors hurrying toward the exits, bending over to avoid inhaling smoke and covering their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs or palms.
The pathways leading to the exits presented a chaotic scene mixed with debris from broken cosmetic bottles shaken off by the earthquake's tremor and fallen clothing display mannequins.
According to Asahi, as the escalators inside the mall stopped operating at the time, visitors moved in lines down the stairs from the second floor to the first floor before escaping outside.
Asahi's video shows a woman, appearing to be a shopping mall employee, urging customers to evacuate in a desperate voice.
Those who were inside at the time told Asahi that there was "no particular panic situation."
A female visitor who escaped outside immediately after the earthquake occurred said, "It seemed most of the customers evacuated outside. Employees might have remained inside."
She patted her chest in relief, saying, "It is chilling to think that an explosion occurred near the store where I was staying."
A woman in her 20s who was on the second floor of the AEON Mall until just before the collapse told Jiji Press, "After the earthquake, ceiling tiles fell and water began pouring down, so I evacuated immediately."
A man who was working at a store inside the shopping mall and evacuated outside right after the strong earthquake described the tense situation, saying, "As soon as I got out, I heard a loud sound like a bomb exploding, and when I looked back, white smoke was rising like a cloud."
Videos on X (formerly Twitter) presumably uploaded by shoppers contain coughs and the voices of visitors saying "It's dangerous," "They say it's a intensity 7 quake," and "The smoke is stinging."
One evacuee told the Yomiuri Shimbun that since it was the summer vacation period, many families visited the shopping mall with children, and wished for their safety.
On X, heavily used by Japanese people, posts expressing worry were also uploaded following the strong earthquake on the 28th, stating, "An acquaintance works at AEON Mall Kumamoto, but I cannot get in touch with them."
According to the videos, outdoor spaces such as the parking lot were also filled with white smoke believed to have generated after the explosion, and vehicles such as delivery trucks parked around the mall showed harrowing sights with debris draped over them or shattered windows.
Some guardrails around the shopping mall were even bent like pieces of taffy.
Evacuated visitors reported that the parking lot was congested with vehicles trying to escape the shopping mall, and a procession of police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks continued on roads heading into the mall.
The cause of the shopping mall's explosion and collapse has not yet been officially announced.
A man who evacuated after working at a store inside the mall mentioned that there is an LPG tank near the mall.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that a high-ranking Japanese government official also mentioned the possibility of an explosion caused by an LPG leak.
Professor Ichitoku Kuwana of Tokyo University of Science (fire science) told Asahi, "Gas may have leaked from air conditioning facilities damaged by the earthquake and exploded."
He pointed out that because large-scale facilities like shopping malls use a considerable amount of gas, there is a possibility of a major explosion in the event of an earthquake or similar disaster.
During the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, a high-pressure gas pipeline ruptured at an oil refining facility in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, leading to a massive explosion and fire accident from the leaked gas.
Police, firefighters, and the Self-Defense Forces have arrived one after another to conduct rescue operations in the Kumamoto earthquake-hit areas, including the AEON Mall where the explosion and partial building collapse occurred, but they are reportedly struggling due to the possibility of additional explosions and collapses.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated as of 8:30 a.m. on the 29th that 13 people have died and massive damage from the strong earthquake, including building collapses, fires, and damaged roads, has been confirmed.
Kumamoto Prefecture initially tallied that the safety of about 20 people estimated to have been inside the shopping mall was unknown on the afternoon of the 28th immediately after the mall accident, and subsequently announced that 10 people were missing.
However, starting from the 29th, Kumamoto Prefecture has been announcing that it is "verifying" without specifying the number of missing persons related to the AEON Mall.
Meanwhile, JR Kyushu has completely suspended the operation of the Kyushu Shinkansen starting from the first trains on the 29th to inspect tracks and facilities.
Local media reported that the earthquake affected communication services, leaving residents struggling with mobile phones not working in various parts of Kumamoto Prefecture even this morning.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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