Cars Stop in Shock as Shopping Mall Explodes: Inside the Aftermath

[Anchor]

The earthquake damage in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, is escalating. A magnitude 7.1 strong earthquake has caused building collapses and a massive shopping mall explosion, with the death toll currently standing at 13. First, let us look at footage from the time showing the sheer force of the shopping mall explosion.

Our first report is by reporter Kim Yongtae.

[Reporter]

At 5:46 PM yesterday (July 28), about 1 hour and 20 minutes after the initial earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan.

The large shopping center AEON Mall exploded.

It exploded instantly, billowing smoke, and the impact sent building debris raining down in all directions.

At the same time, the moment of the explosion was also witnessed from vehicles passing nearby.

Surprised drivers all stopped their cars to assess the situation.

This is another piece of footage believed to be right after the explosion.

Amid thick smoke, people can be seen ducking and hurriedly evacuating outside the AEON Mall.


["Down, down."]

Looking at the inside of the shopping mall filmed by the Japanese police, one can truly realize the power of the explosion.

The ceiling was torn off as if it had been bombed, and parts of the stores turned into something resembling a battlefield.

Due to the AEON Mall explosion, which employs 2,700 staff members alone, a total of 3 people have died so far, with 1 person in cardiac arrest.

[Yoshida / AEON Group Representative: As of now, based on what our company has ascertained, the safety of three people remains unconfirmed.]

The fatalities are all reported to be store employees, and AEON Group stated that some employees appear to have returned inside the building after evacuating customers when the earthquake struck.

Judging by the scale of the explosion, it is presumed to be a gas explosion, but the exact cause is still under investigation.

[Kihara Minoru / Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary: While firefighters and police were conducting search operations yesterday, reports were received of a gas smell inside the building. The exact cause is currently under investigation.]

At the nearby Nippon Paper Industries plant in Yatsushiro, a large smokestack collapsed, leaving 5 people dead and 2 injured.

The confirmed death toll currently stands at 13, and there are numerous missing persons at each accident site.

[Takaichi Sanae / Prime Minister of Japan: It is a race against time. We will mobilize all available resources to rescue as many people as possible.]

Amid growing concerns that casualties could rise further, the number of earthquake evacuees has reached 7,700.

(Video Editing: Chae Cheol-ho, Video Source: Asahi (Hiyoshi Kengo))
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.