Search ended at mall wrecked by Japan quake blast

Japanese officials announced on August 1 that rescue operations have concluded at a shopping mall that was devastated by an explosion. The incident followed a powerful earthquake that has claimed at least 36 lives.

From the debris of the collapsed mall, 12 individuals were recovered. Seven of these were confirmed dead, according to the disaster management office of the Kumamoto region, which was struck by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake on July 28. A police official stated that a thorough search was conducted over two days with multiple agencies to ensure no one remained missing.

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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, to ensure no one remained missing.

Aeon, the mall's operator, confirmed that the seven deceased were employees of stores within the mall. Separately, rescue operations at a paper factory, where a smokestack had collapsed, also terminated on July 31. Nine bodies were recovered from that site, along with two survivors.

The earthquake caused widespread destruction across the southwestern region, leading to collapsed homes, damaged bridges, and fires. Many residents were left without electricity and water. As of August 1, over 9,000 people, many elderly, remained in shelters. While most power outages were resolved, approximately 59,000 households were still without water.

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We found no such individual.