Two women dead, dozens missing after explosion at Aeon Mall Kumamoto following M7.1 quake

A powerful shake and swift aftershocks

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) recorded the quake at magnitude 7.1, with the maximum Shindo intensity of 7 in parts of Kumamoto. The U.S. Geological Survey later revised its reading to 6.8. The hypocenter lay at a shallow 10 km beneath Kumamoto prefecture, and the jolt struck at 16:27 local time. A tsunami advisory for waves up to one metre was issued but lifted at 18:10. In the first hour, 61 aftershocks were measured, including one of Shindo 5- at 16:29 and two of intensity 4 at 16:39 and 16:59.

Across the prefecture, cracks split major roads, a freight train derailed, and sections of an elevated highway were damaged. Kyushu Electric Power reported that 40,000 homes lost electricity. High-speed Shinkansen services were suspended, and Kumamoto airport closed its runway. At least seven fires and eight emergency rescue requests were logged by 18:00. The IAEA confirmed the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, about 100 km away, was unaffected and continued normal operations.

Explosion at AEON Mall leaves two dead, many missing

Before the quake, the AEON Mall Kumamoto in Kashima was packed with shoppers and staff at its roughly 200 outlets. Immediately after the tremors, employees guided about 200 people to the safety of the parking lot. But around 17:27, roughly one hour after the main shock, an explosion ripped through the building. The second floor collapsed, trapping an unknown number of people inside. Police later confirmed two women in their early 20s died; a further five injured were pulled from the rubble, and one person was in cardiac arrest. The public broadcaster NHK reported that between 20 and 30 mall staff remained unaccounted for overnight.

Firefighters worked through the darkness, but structural damage hindered access. A police spokesperson told TBS that some people were presumed dead inside, though the final toll was not confirmed. Witnesses described the smell of gas before the blast. The mall's operator, AEON, said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

A recently rebuilt landmark, shattered again

The mall had just reopened last month after a multi-year renovation prompted by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake (M7.3), which killed 278 people and forced the centre to close for months. Seismic-reinforced ceilings and other upgrades were part of the reconstruction. In recent years, visitor numbers to AEON Mall surged past 8 million annually, partly driven by the 2024 opening of a TSMC semiconductor factory in the area. The complex included a cinema and parking for 5,000 cars. Today, much of it is a skeleton of steel beams and rubble.

Government mobilises troops, factories halt production

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi activated an emergency response team and ordered 3,600 Self-Defense Force personnel to assist rescue and recovery. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara urged residents in the hardest-hit areas to stay calm and heed evacuation instructions delivered via radio, television and the internet. More than 150,000 people were advised to move to evacuation centres.

I have instructed the entire government to work together with all forces on emergency disaster response measures, such as rescue operations for victims.

The semiconductor and electronics industry reacted swiftly. TSMC, Sony and Fujifilm evacuated staff from their Kumamoto facilities. Tokyo Electron announced it would keep its two fabs in the prefecture closed at least through Wednesday, and Honda temporarily halted a motorcycle factory in the area.

"A huge cloud of smoke," witnesses recall

Kazuya Tsurunaga, who was collecting broken dishes at a shop about 300 metres from the mall, described the explosion moment.

It was a huge impact. A huge cloud of smoke rose into the air, and because the wind was blowing right toward the shop, the area around us looked as if volcanic ash had fallen.

An 89-year-old resident of Uki city told NewsJP the ground "shook violently, both vertically and horizontally, for about 10-20 seconds." Dozens of injuries were reported at hospitals, including roughly 10 from a nursing home in the area.

As rescuers continued to search for the missing, authorities warned that strong aftershocks could persist for about a week and urged caution over landslides.