Shopping Mall Upper Section Explodes in an Instant... Death Toll From Earthquake Rises to 13

[Anchor]

Damage from the earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, continues to grow.

So far, 13 people have been confirmed dead. Reporter Kim Yongtae has prepared footage from the shopping mall explosion at the time.

[Reporter]

At 5:46 PM, about 1 hour and 20 minutes after the first earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan.

A large shopping center, Aeon Mall, exploded.

It exploded in an instant while spewing smoke, and the impact sent building debris cascading in all directions.

At the same time, the explosion was also witnessed from a vehicle passing nearby.

Startled cars all came to a stop to assess the situation.

This is another scene believed to be right after the explosion.

Amid thick smoke, people are hastily evacuating outside the Aeon Mall while keeping their bodies low.

[Down, down.]

Looking at the interior footage of the shopping mall filmed by Japanese police, one can truly grasp the power at the time of the explosion.

The ceiling was torn apart as if hit by a bombing, and parts of the store were transformed into something resembling a battlefield.

Due to the explosion at Aeon Mall, which employs up to 2,700 staff members, a total of 3 people have died so far, and 1 is in a state of cardiac arrest.

[Yoshida / Aeon Group Representative: As of now, based on what our company has ascertained, the safety and whereabouts of 3 people remain unconfirmed.]

All of the deceased are known 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, and 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 that the smell of gas was detected inside the building. The detailed 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.

Confirmed fatalities currently stand at 13, and there are several missing persons at each accident site.

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

Amid growing concerns that casualties may 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.