Officials end a five-day rescue operation at Japan’s collapsed Aeon Mall following powerful quake
Summary
Authorities ended a five-day rescue operation at a collapsed shopping mall in southwest Japan after a strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake caused extensive damage and killed 34 people. While the mall search finished with all missing accounted for, rescue efforts continue elsewhere in the affected Kumamoto prefecture, which faces water shortages and heat challenges.Key Facts
- A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Kumamoto on Japan’s Kyushu island on Tuesday.
- The Aeon Mall in Kashima town partially collapsed due to an explosion believed to be caused by a gas leak.
- About 3,000 shoppers were evacuated before the explosion, but some employees remained inside.
- Rescuers saved five people and recovered seven bodies under the mall debris.
- Rescue operations at the mall ended after all missing persons were found or accounted for.
- In a nearby factory, 11 workers were trapped; two were rescued and nine died.
- The earthquake injured 103 people in the region; some deaths are still under investigation.
- Nearly 70,000 homes lack fresh water; more than 9,000 people are in crowded shelters enduring hot weather.
- Over 180 homes were destroyed and around 3,500 buildings damaged in the Kumamoto area.
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