Death Toll Reaches 14 in Kumamoto Earthquakes, M5.8 Aftershock Hits Late at Night

[Anchor]

The death toll from the earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, has risen to 14. TSMC's semiconductor manufacturing plant has also halted operations, and industrial damage is expected to be substantial.

Our first report today (July 30), with reporter Park Chan-beom.

[Reporter]

At 5:46 PM the day before yesterday, about an hour and 20 minutes after the first earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu Island.

The large shopping center AEON Mall exploded.

It exploded instantly 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 stopped to assess the situation.

Here is another footage believed to have been captured right after the explosion.

Amid thick smoke, people are hastily evacuating outside the AEON Mall while crouching down.

[Down, down.]

The Asahi Shimbun reported that two additional deaths were confirmed at the AEON Mall, bringing the total death toll to five.

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 / Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan: While firefighters and police were conducting search operations, reports were received that a smell of gas was detected inside the building.]

At the nearby Nippon Paper Industries plant in Yatsushiro, a large chimney collapsed, killing five people and injuring two.

The death toll confirmed so far stands at 14, and there are still several people missing at each accident site.

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

Major industries have also suffered damage.

TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor foundry, has suspended operations at its first plant in Kumamoto, raising concerns that losses could amount to tens of billions of won.

Kyodo News reported that it will take some time for TSMC's Kumamoto Plant 1 to resume production.

Amidst this situation, aftershocks have also occurred.

At 10:19 PM last night, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake was observed in the waters near Kumamoto Prefecture.

South Korea's Meteorological Administration stated that tremors were also felt in areas such as Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province.

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