13 Dead in Strong Earthquake in Kumamoto, Japan; Multiple People Inside Collapsed Shopping Mall

Following a strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck near Uki City in Kumamoto Prefecture, western Kyushu, on the 28th, an estimated 13 people have died and about 7,700 evacuees have been generated.

According to announcements by the Japanese government, the death toll compiled as of 3:00 p.m. on the 29th stands at 13.

In addition, there are 5 patients in a state of cardiac arrest, 23 with serious or minor injuries, and a number of people whose survival status remains unconfirmed.

Among the fatalities, three individuals, including a woman in her 20s, were confirmed at the site of an explosion at the AEON Mall Kumamoto, a large shopping center located in Kashima-machi, Kumamoto Prefecture.

According to NHK, as of 2:00 p.m. that day, 7 out of 11 people trapped inside structures following a chimney collapse at the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Plant were rescued.

Among them, 5 have died and 2 were injured.

The survival status of the 4 individuals not yet rescued remains unconfirmed.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi presided over an emergency disaster countermeasure headquarters meeting and stated, "Several people are still left inside the (AEON Mall) building, and there are also multiple missing persons due to the chimney collapse at the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Plant."

She noted, "More than 20 hours have passed since the strong earthquake occurred, but there are still people waiting for help, making this a race against time," and urged all-out efforts in rescue operations.

According to Kyodo News and other reports, all three fatalities at the AEON Mall are employees of the AEON Group or stores located within the shopping mall.

In addition, one employee is in a state of cardiac arrest, and the survival status of four others remains unconfirmed.

The AEON Group held a press conference explaining that about 2,700 people were working at the shopping mall and that some appear to have returned inside the building after guiding customers to evacuate.

It also announced that all visitors had evacuated.

Japanese government spokesperson Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stated regarding the collapse site at AEON Mall Kumamoto that there were reports of a "smell of gas" during search operations conducted on the 28th, while adding that the exact cause of the explosion and collapse is currently under verification.

Aside from the collapse sites at AEON Mall and Nippon Paper Industries, one person each died in Kosa-machi and Yatsushiro City in Kumamoto Prefecture, and two people were found in a state of cardiac arrest in Hikawa-machi, the epicenter.

Approximately 7,700 people are sheltering at 450 evacuation centers set up in Kumamoto Prefecture, Fukuoka Prefecture, and other areas.

As of 7:00 a.m. on the 29th, 36,900 households in Kumamoto Prefecture experienced blackouts, and water supply was cut off for about 84,000 households.

Gas supplies were cut off to about 9,500 households, including in Kumamoto City and Yatsushiro City.

Prime Minister Takaichi urged all-out efforts in distributing relief supplies such as drinking water, food ingredients, cardboard beds, hygiene products, and emergency power sources, stating that "evacuation in hot weather is likely to be prolonged."

Noting that a significant number of residents are sheltering in cars, she ordered support for gasoline and urged efforts to prevent "economy class syndrome," which can occur from living in cramped vehicle spaces.

During the strong earthquake that struck the region in 2016, some residents who lived in vehicle shelters suffered from economy class syndrome.

The Japan Self-Defense Forces dispatched 4,600 personnel to search for missing persons and conduct rescue operations, while the Metropolitan Police Department sent specialized disaster rescue squads and helicopters to Kumamoto Prefecture.

Footage filmed inside the AEON Mall Kumamoto accident site by rescue teams using equipment such as drones showed collapsed ceilings with wires and other structures hanging downward, along with dust and debris scattered disorderly, which appeared to have been generated at the time of the explosion.

Kyodo News commented that this indicates the explosion had considerable force.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan stated on the 29th that readings from radiation monitoring devices installed at six locations within Kumamoto Prefecture have not been available since 11:00 p.m. the previous day, but this appears to be due to server communication issues caused by power outages, and there are no abnormalities at surrounding nuclear power plants.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.