Explosion at mall in southwestern Japan leaves people trapped, injured after major earthquake

Tokyo, July 28 (IANS) An explosion struck a large shopping centre in Kashima Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Tuesday, leaving multiple people trapped and injured, public broadcaster NHK reported.

According to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency, information received from the local fire department indicated that part of Aeon Mall Kumamoto’s second floor had collapsed, with numerous people believed to be trapped inside.

Firefighters were working to verify the situation and carry out rescue operations, the report said.

The agency also said that injured people had been transported to hospitals, although the number and severity of the injuries had not yet been disclosed, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Police and fire authorities said they received multiple emergency calls at around 6:00 p.m. local time reporting an explosion-like sound and white smoke rising from Aeon Mall Kumamoto.

Aerial footage filmed by an NHK helicopter at around 6:20 p.m. showed severe damage to the structure. Sections of the building’s exterior wall had peeled away, exposing steel framework, while part of the roof appeared to have collapsed. A large hole was also visible on the rooftop.

The explosion occurred after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck Kumamoto Prefecture earlier in the day. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Kashima Town is believed to have experienced shaking of at least lower 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, although the exact intensity has yet to be confirmed.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

The temblor occurred at around 4:27 p.m. local time at a depth of about 10 km, measuring a maximum of 7 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in the hardest-hit areas in the prefecture, the weather agency said.

A tsunami warning of one metre has been issued for the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea in southwestern Japan.

–IANS

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