Aeon Mall in Japan Collapses After Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake
A shopping centre collapsed after an earthquake with a magnitude (M) of 7.1 shook Japan on Tuesday (28/7).
An explosion was reported to have occurred inside the “AEON Mall Kumamoto” in the city of Kashima, about an hour after the main quake and several aftershocks.
“In the city of Kashima, the second floor of a shopping complex collapsed, trapping many people inside,” the fire department said in a statement, as reported by the AFP news agency on Tuesday (28/7/2026).
There has been no official report from the Japanese authorities on casualties in the incident. However, several people were reported dead at the shopping centre, according to reports from the television station TBS.
The police further stated that around 200 people had taken shelter from the earthquake in the building’s car park when the explosion occurred.
Earlier, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that the powerful earthquake struck the island of Kyushu at 16.27 local time.
The quake registered the highest level, 7, on Japan’s seismic intensity scale, known as the Shindo scale.
The earthquake briefly triggered a tsunami warning, which was subsequently lifted.
The latest quake came after Japan was shaken by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on 25 June, which caused no deaths or serious damage.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said several people were injured as a result of the earthquake that struck the south-western region of the country.
Takaichi also noted that several buildings had collapsed and fires had broken out as a result of the earthquake.
“We are still compiling data on the extent of injuries and property damage, but I have received information that there are a number of people injured,” Takaichi said at a press conference held after the earthquake.
Takaichi did not elaborate on the reported number of injured.
“Power outages and fires have occurred in a number of areas, with sections of roads and bridges damaged and buildings collapsed,” the Japanese Prime Minister said.