On July 28, Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture was hit by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake; less than 30 minutes after the quake, a massive blast occurred at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, located in Kashima-cho on the southeastern outskirts of Kumamoto City. Ironically, Aeon Mall Kumamoto had undergone major reinforcement and renovation under the banner of “a mall with stronger disaster-resilience capabilities” after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, and completed its latest renovation and reopened on June 13 (just 45 days before this earthquake).
Aeon Mall Kumamoto blast timeline: explosion occurred within 30 minutes after the Kumamoto earthquake
Event timeline: At 4:27 p.m. on July 28, 2026, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture. Less than 30 minutes after the earthquake, a violent explosion occurred at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, destroying the second-floor slab and the exterior wall. FNN reported that, “The damage from the explosion was mainly concentrated on the south side of the mall, where department stores and clothing shops are located, and the second floor also has a food court.”
NHK added that, before the explosion, there were reports that gas had leaked inside the building. Fire department personnel are investigating the possibility that it was a gas explosion, but it is still unclear whether pipes and equipment first ruptured, what kind of ignition source ignited the gas, and how the explosion pressure expanded the area of collapse.
Casualties and rescue progress: 2 women dead, 1 woman suffered cardiac arrest, 20 to 30 still unaccounted for
According to data from Kumamoto Prefecture’s disaster response headquarters as of 4:00 a.m. on July 29, the casualty situation in this incident is as follows:
Deaths: 2 women in their 20s or so confirmed dead
Cardiac arrest: 1 woman
Successfully rescued: 8 people
Unaccounted for: 20 to 30 people (mostly store employees and mall operating personnel)
Rescue operations were carried out through the night on the early morning of July 29, and as of the time of the report, they are still ongoing.
Aeon Kumamoto store reconstruction history: renovated in June, then hit again by an earthquake 45 days later
Aeon Kumamoto Shopping Center had previously been severely damaged by an earthquake in 2016. On April 14 and 16, 2016, Kumamoto was hit by two back-to-back magnitude 7 earthquakes over two days, forcing the shopping center’s western specialty store area to be completely closed. On March 24, 2017, 49 stores reopened, with 16 additional stores added (including the large cinema, Aeon Cinema Kumamoto).
After that, Aeon strongly promoted the image of “a mall with stronger disaster-resilience capabilities,” carried out seismic retrofitting for the ceilings, and rechecked how suspended equipment was installed. On June 13, 2026, Aeon Kumamoto’s flagship store completed a large-scale renovation (redesigning the food and cosmetics areas, adding beauty home appliances and a gaming experience area) and reopened; it had been only 45 days since the July 28 earthquake and blast.
FAQ
What were the magnitude of the July 28 earthquake in Kumamoto and the time the explosion occurred?
According to reports from mainstream Japanese media and NHK, at 4:27 p.m. on July 28, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture. Less than 30 minutes after the earthquake, a violent explosion occurred at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, destroying the second-floor slab and the exterior wall.
As of early morning on July 29, how many people were killed, injured, or reported missing due to the accident?
According to data from Kumamoto Prefecture’s disaster response headquarters, as of 4:00 a.m. on July 29, two women in their 20s or so were confirmed dead, one woman suffered cardiac arrest, eight people had been successfully rescued, and 20 to 30 people were still unaccounted for (mostly store employees and mall operating personnel).
Has the cause of the explosion been confirmed?
As of the time of the report, the cause of the explosion has not been confirmed. NHK reported that there had been reports before the blast that gas had leaked inside the building, and that Japan’s fire authorities are investigating the possibility of a gas explosion. Kumamoto Prefecture police and fire departments said they will investigate whether the blast was triggered by equipment damaged by the earthquake and how the explosion expanded the area of building collapse.
