The search for survivors continued late Tuesday at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto, which was rocked by an explosion and partially collapsed after a 7-magnitude earthquake rattled Japan.
Public broadcaster NHK reported the mall’s second floor had collapsed and that police said 20 to 30 people were unaccounted for in the mall.
In the wake of the quake, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ordered the country’s ministries to: “Act in close coordination with local governments and, under the principle of prioritizing human life above all else, spare no effort in our emergency disaster responses, including saving lives and rescuing disaster victims, with the government working as one.”
Takaichi encouraged people to remain vigilant and warned that more tremors could hit over the next week.
The mall, in the Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan, is all too familiar with the kind of damage that can be caused by earthquakes.
It was hit hard by the 7.3 quake in the area in April 2016 and was closed for three months before partially reopening. The mall has been renovated and expanded multiple times since, with its latest fresh start coming just last month.
According to the company’s website the mall first opened in 2005 with 84,000 square meters of leasable space and 200 stores.
There are some global brands, including Zara, Uniqlo and H&M, that have stores at the mall, but most of the space is filled with more regional names, including Angelico Luce, Bou Jeloud, Alphabet’s Alphabet, Lakole, Perfect Suit Factory, HugHug and many more.
In 2018, the mall opened a two-story extension building called West Square that replaced the former anchor zone that had been rebuilt.
A release from Aeon at the time said the mall had “introduced seismic and safety measures.” Among them were:
- The use of lightweight materials and seismic equipment for ceilings.
- Lightweight noncombustible sheet smoke barriers to reduce fall risk.
- Lower-mounted bracket lighting.
- Reinforced suspended equipment and piping inside ceilings.
The mall’s website said that it was closed for now. “We will announce the reopening date on this website once we have confirmed that it is safe to do so,” Aeon said.
