Japan ends search at earthquake-hit mall after explosion

Rescue operations have ended at a Japanese shopping mall that was devastated by an explosion after a powerful earthquake. Officials announced Saturday that the search for survivors at the mall in Kumamoto had concluded. A total of 12 people were pulled from the rubble, with seven confirmed dead, according to the regional disaster management office. A police official stated that a thorough search was conducted over two days with the collaboration of emergency services and the Self-Defense Forces to ensure no one remained missing. "We found no such individual," the official reported at a disaster management meeting.

Aeon, the mall's operator, confirmed that the seven fatalities were employees of tenant stores. The operation follows the termination of rescue efforts at a paper factory on Friday, where a collapsed smokestack led to the recovery of nine bodies and two survivors. The 7.1-magnitude quake, which struck on Tuesday, inflicted extensive damage across the southwestern region. Homes were flattened, bridges damaged, and fires broke out, disrupting power and water supplies for many residents.

“

We conducted a thorough search over the past two days in collaboration with the fire service, the Self-Defence Forces, and other regional police units

As of Saturday, over 9,000 people, many of them elderly, were still housed in shelters. While most power outages were resolved, approximately 59,000 households continued to face water shortages. Japan's location on four major tectonic plates makes it highly susceptible to seismic activity, situated along the Pacific "Ring of Fire." Kumamoto itself experienced devastating earthquakes in 2016, which resulted in 273 deaths and over 2,800 injuries.

“

We found no such individual