Aeon mall had just reopened for 'fresh start' after earthquake destruction

The Aeon mall destroyed in a post-quake explosion in southern Japan on Tuesday ‌had just reopened last month as a new and improved shopping and entertainment complex to commemorate its recovery from a deadly tremor a decade ago.

The mall was so badly damaged in the magnitude 7.3 Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016 that it had to ​close for months and rebuild over even longer periods. As it went through a 2017 redevelopment ​and expansion, the mall highlighted its seismically reinforced ceilings and overall improvements to safety and ⁠resilience.

With the opening of Taiwan chipmaker TSMC’s factory in Kumamoto in 2024, visitors to the Aeon mall had ​topped 8 million people a year. It housed some 200 stores and businesses and a cinema, and it had ​room for 5,000 cars in its parking lot.

On Tuesday, much of the sprawling site was reduced to a skeleton and rubble. Many were feared dead or trapped inside, according to NHK and other Japanese broadcasters, and Kumamoto police said the danger of aftershocks ​made it impossible to start search and rescue work in the compromised structure. The epicentre of the quake was ​only a few miles away.

When the magnitude 7.1 tremor struck late afternoon on Tuesday, mall employees helped evacuate visitors outside the ‌building, ⁠an Aeon spokesperson said. About 200 people had been guided outside to safety, prefectural authorities said.

About an hour later, a powerful explosion blew the walls off and exposed large parts of the underlying structure. Some 20 to 30 employees at the mall were still unaccounted for, public broadcaster NHK said. Witnesses reported smelling gas in the area.

In ​Japan’s smaller cities, Aeon’s malls ​are often vibrant sites ⁠for shopping and entertainment. After the 2016 Kumamoto quake, a supermarket inside the Aeon mall had sold onigiri rice balls for a steeply discounted 10 yen (6 cents) each ​to help ease the burden on survivors.

This year’s June 13 reopening was meant to ​be a fresh ⁠start for Aeon Kumamoto.

“As we mark both the 21st year since opening and the 10th anniversary of the region’s recovery (from the 2016 earthquake), we are undertaking a major renewal of the shopping centre,” Aeon Kumamoto had said in a ⁠press release ​to commemorate the event.

“Through this ‘re-start’ initiative, we will embark on a ​new stage of growth and strive to become a shopping centre that brings enjoyment to customers throughout the region.”