The death toll from the earthquake and related incidents has risen, with 13 deaths reported across Japan. Rescue teams continue to search affected areas as authorities assess the full scale of the destruction.
A devastating earthquake, measuring 7.1 magnitude, occurred in the southwestern part of Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, resulting in significant damage and collapse of buildings and trapping people. It happened in the Kyushu region, which is known as one of the most seismically active regions in the country.
However, the catastrophe became worse due to an explosion that occurred in the shopping center after the earthquake. Authorities are checking whether the explosion was triggered by the gas leakage.
Explosion at Shopping Mall Leaves Several Dead and Missing
An hour after the earthquake, there was an explosion in an Aeon-operated shopping mall in Kumamoto, resulting in the partial collapse of the building. Reports say that many people who were shopping at the place were immediately evacuated following the earthquake, but the explosion resulted in fatalities to some of the people present inside.
There were at least three deaths reported as a result of the explosion, while some others remained missing. The rescue teams faced difficult working conditions due to the hazardous nature of the collapsed structure.
Footage taken from the scene revealed smoke, debris, and damaged storefronts and areas of the mall that were affected by the explosion. Rescue teams carefully worked on searching for people that might be trapped under the debris.
Rescue Teams Race Against Time
Rescue missions were immediately mounted by the Japanese emergency service following the earthquake. Soldiers, firefighters, and rescue specialists were sent out to scour through collapsed structures and aid people impacted by the calamity.
They stressed that it was growing harder for them to carry out their missions because of the aftershocks and unfavorable weather. Over a hundred aftershocks have already been recorded in the affected region, creating fear that more buildings may collapse.
The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, referred to the rescue mission as a race against time in order to locate the survivors and offer them emergency help.
Widespread Damage Across Kumamoto
The earthquake caused severe damage beyond the shopping mall. Buildings were damaged, infrastructure was affected and several workplaces reported destruction. A factory area also suffered a deadly accident after structural damage caused by the quake, adding to the growing death toll.
Thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes and move into evacuation centres as authorities assessed damaged buildings and worked to restore essential services. Power and water disruptions were reported in several areas.
Japan remains in emergency response mode as rescue workers continue searching damaged sites and authorities assess the full scale of destruction. The country, located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” frequently experiences earthquakes, but officials say the combination of a major quake followed by a large explosion has created an unusually complex rescue operation.
The death toll and damage assessment might keep changing as more areas become accessible to the rescuers.
This is a developing story.
