Japan quake toll rises, people still missing in damaged mall and factory

Soldiers and emergency workers scoured a severely damaged shopping mall and collapsed houses in southwestern Japan, searching for survivors after a powerful earthquake killed at least 18 people. The magnitude 7.1 quake struck the Kumamoto area on the southern island of Kyushu, also injuring 62 people, six seriously, according to the prefectural government. Fears are growing that the death toll may rise as rescuers brave the heat to find those still missing. Significant damage occurred at the Aeon Mall in Kashima city, which was crowded when the quake hit. The company reported that approximately 3,000 customers were evacuated before a gas explosion in another part of the mall, where some employees were still working. The mall's second floor collapsed, trapping people. Witnesses described the explosion as shaking the area intensely. Aeon Mall president Akio Yoshida stated that three employees remained missing and confirmed three deaths from the blast, bowing deeply and saying, "We take it seriously that an explosion happened and precious lives were lost." A man told CBS News he was worried about his 23-year-old friend, an employee working inside the mall during the explosion. A girl at the scene recalled a previous major earthquake 10 years ago but said, "what happened yesterday was so strong, I felt like death was close." Japanese media showed footage of the mall with a caved-in ceiling and debris, as rescue workers searched the area. In nearby Yatsushino, a chimney collapse at a Nippon Paper Industries factory killed five people, with seven others rescued from the rubble.

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We take it seriously that an explosion happened and precious lives were lost.