Japan earthquake survivors escaped the shaking. Then a mall exploded

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the rescue effort as a “race against time”, saying emergency teams were using every available resource to reach those trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Around 4,500 soldiers, along with firefighters and police personnel, have been deployed across the quake-hit region, with about 170 troops focused on rescue operations at the mall.

Mall evacuated before suspected explosion

According to Reuters, hundreds of shoppers and employees had already been evacuated from the Aeon mall after the earthquake when a massive explosion ripped through the building, exposing steel beams and scattering debris across the parking area. Witnesses described scenes of panic as nearby roads became gridlocked while emergency sirens blared.

“I thought a bomb had gone off,” Reuters quoted Takateru Sonoda, who runs a nearby café and hair salon, as saying. Another witness described smoke spreading through the area “like volcanic ash” after the blast.

Police initially kept rescue teams away from the wreckage because of fears that aftershocks could trigger further collapse. More than 100 aftershocks were recorded in Kumamoto by the end of Tuesday.

Gas leak under investigation

Authorities are investigating whether a gas leak triggered the explosion.

Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said rescue workers reported smelling gas inside the building, while emergency vehicles repeatedly warned residents to stay away from the area because of the risk of another leak. The mall used liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is supplied through large canisters rather than pipelines. Officials said both piped gas and LPG systems are equipped with automatic shut-off mechanisms during major seismic activity, though the exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Aeon declined to comment on its gas supplier or safety protocols.

Mall had reopened after 2016 earthquake

The tragedy has drawn particular attention because the shopping complex had reopened only last month after extensive redevelopment following the devastating 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.

The operator had promoted the mall’s reinforced ceilings and upgraded earthquake-resistant features as part of its reconstruction after the magnitude-7.3 quake that killed 275 people and damaged thousands of buildings a decade ago.

Widespread damage across southern Japan

The earthquake also caused widespread destruction across Kumamoto prefecture.

Roads cracked, bridges were damaged, buildings collapsed, and fires broke out in several locations. Around 260,000 residents were advised to evacuate, while more than 36,000 homes remained without electricity amid sweltering summer temperatures. Authorities warned residents to prepare for further strong aftershocks and possible landslides over the coming week.

Several hospitals reported power outages and capacity constraints as they treated injured residents, while high-speed train services were suspended after passengers were hurt during the quake.

Manufacturing disrupted

The disaster also disrupted Japan’s manufacturing sector.

Toyota suspended operations at three factories outside Kumamoto through Friday, while Sony, Honda, Renesas Electronics and Tokyo Electron halted production at facilities in the region. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) evacuated workers from its local plant as a precaution before gradually resuming operations later on Tuesday.

Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences about 20% of the world’s earthquakes measuring magnitude 6.0 or higher, making seismic preparedness a routine part of life. Tuesday’s disaster, however, underscored how secondary hazards such as suspected gas explosions can turn an already devastating earthquake into an even deadlier catastrophe.

(With inputs from Reuters)