Videos filmed immediately after the earthquake on the 28th at AEON Mall Kumamoto, a large shopping center in Kumamoto Prefecture, western Kyushu, which suffered explosions and collapses following a magnitude 7.1 strong earthquake, are conveying the tense situation at the time.

Videos published on the homepage of the Asahi Shimbun on the 29th captured the desperate scenes of visitors evacuating out of the shopping mall, cutting through thick white smoke that filled the indoor space as if an explosion had just occurred.

While the cause of the shopping mall's explosions and collapses has not yet been officially announced, the possibility of a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) leak is being discussed.

Kumamoto Prefecture had announced until the night of the 28th, following the partial collapse of the AEON Mall, that 10 people were presumed to be inside the mall but unreachable, but starting from the 29th, it has refrained from mentioning exact figures, stating that it is "verifying the information."

◇ Evacuation Line Brushing Through Acrid Smoke: "A Loud Sound Like a Bomb Exploding"

Looking at the footage in the videos, many visitors to the shopping mall hurried toward the exits, bending their waists and covering their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs or palms to avoid inhaling the smoke.

The passageway leading to the exit presented a chaotic scene mixed with the debris of broken cosmetic bottles shattered by the earthquake's shaking and toppled clothing display mannequins.

According to Asahi, escalator operations inside the shopping mall were suspended at the time, prompting visitors to move in lines from the second floor down to the first floor via stairs before escaping outside.

The video showed a woman, appearing to be a shopping mall staff member, guiding 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 had evacuated outside. Staff members might have remained inside."

She stroked her chest in relief, saying, "It sends chills down my spine 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 right before the collapse said, "After the earthquake, ceiling tiles began to fall and water started pouring down, so I fled immediately."

A man who was working at a store inside the shopping mall and evacuated outside right after the strong earthquake struck described the tense situation, saying, "As soon as I got out, I heard a loud noise like a bomb exploding, and when I looked back, white smoke was rising like a cloud."

A video on X (formerly Twitter), seemingly uploaded by a shopper, contained the voices of visitors saying "It's dangerous," "They say it's a magnitude 7," and "The smoke is acrid," along with sounds of coughing.

One evacuee told the Yomiuri Shimbun that since it was the summer vacation period, many families had visited the shopping mall with children, and wished for their safety.

Posts expressing worry were also uploaded on X, a social media platform frequently used by Japanese people, stating after the strong earthquake on the 28th, "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 originated after the explosions, and vehicles such as logistics trucks parked around the mall showed miserable sights with building debris covering them or shattered windows.

Some guardrails around the shopping mall were even bent like taffy.

Visitors reported that the parking lot was congested with vehicles trying to get out of the shopping mall, and a procession of police cars, ambulances, and fire engines continued on the road heading toward the mall.

◇ Explosion Due to LPG Leak? "Gas May Have Leaked from Damaged Air Conditioning Equipment"

The cause of the shopping mall explosions and collapses has not yet been officially revealed.

A man who fled after working at a store inside the shopping 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, "There is a possibility that gas leaked from air conditioning equipment damaged by the earthquake and exploded."

He pointed out that because large-scale facilities like shopping malls use a lot of gas, there is a possibility of a major explosion in the event of an earthquake or other incidents.

During the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, a high-pressure gas pipeline ruptured at an oil refinery facility in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, causing a large-scale explosion and fire accident from the leaked gas.

In the Kumamoto strong earthquake disaster areas, including the AEON Mall where the explosion and partial building collapse occurred, police, firefighters, and the Self-Defense Forces have arrived sequentially to conduct rescue operations, but are reportedly facing difficulties due to the possibility of additional explosions and collapses.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that as of 8:30 a.m. on the 29th, 13 people had died and large-scale damage from the strong earthquake, including building collapses, fires, and road destruction, has been confirmed.

Kumamoto Prefecture initially tallied on the afternoon of the 28th, right after the shopping mall accident, that the safety of about 20 people presumed to have been inside the shopping mall could not be confirmed, and subsequently announced that 10 people were missing.

However, starting from the 29th, Kumamoto Prefecture has been announcing that it is "verifying the information" without specifically disclosing the number of missing persons related to the AEON Mall.

(Photo: Yonhap News)