What Happened at Aeon Mall Kumamoto Between the Earthquake and the Explosion? (NHK)
August 1, 2026, 8:23 p.m.
2026 Kumamoto Earthquake
A large explosion occurred after the earthquake at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping center in Kashima Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, killing seven people and injuring five others.
According to Kumamoto Prefecture, search operations by police and firefighters ended at noon on August 1.
What exactly happened between the earthquake and the explosion?
Testimonies from several employees who were working at stores inside the mall are shedding light on how people evacuated and what conditions were like inside the facility.
Contents
Employees evacuated once. Why did some return to the stores afterward?
Where was the smell of gas detected?
[Video from Inside] Search Operations at Aeon Mall Kumamoto
This article, published on July 31, summarizes the search operations conducted by police and others. It also includes video footage filmed by a drone showing conditions inside the building.
4:27 p.m. — The Earthquake Strikes
It was during the summer vacation period, and approximately 3,000 people are believed to have been visiting the mall that day.
The earthquake struck at 4:27 p.m.
Testimony from Female Employee A
(Worked at a store on the second floor)
"The shaking was so strong that I could barely remain standing. Products and other objects fell over, and several customers who had been near the store entrance sat down on the floor. Everyone appeared shocked and confused."
An announcement informing people that an earthquake had occurred was made inside the mall. People believed to be Aeon Mall employees came near the stores and repeatedly told people, "Please evacuate without taking your belongings with you."
They guided customers who were near the store entrances outside. At around 5 p.m., I left through an employee entrance and went out into the parking lot.
Many people crowded around the employee entrance during the evacuation, and there were moments of confusion.
Even after I reached the parking lot, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. It was completely different from a routine evacuation drill, and I felt helpless.
In the parking lot, some people were treating those who had been injured, while others waited anxiously in the shade.
Employees Evacuated Once — Why Did Some Return to the Stores?
The employees initially evacuated the building.
However, some of them later returned inside.
Several employees described what happened.
A said that after waiting in the parking lot for a while, she decided to go home. However, she had evacuated without taking her car keys or other belongings, so she asked whether she could return to the store.
Female Employee A
(Worked at a store on the second floor)
"I told someone involved with the facility that I wanted to go back and get my car keys and other belongings. At first, I was told, 'Please wait a little while.' Then I was told, 'I think it should be okay,' so I went back inside."
Testimony from Female Employee B
(Worked at a store on the second floor)
At around 5:15 p.m., someone believed to be an Aeon Mall employee called out to people, telling customers to either wait outside or go home.
Employees who had their house keys, car keys, or other belongings inside and could not go home without retrieving them were told to return to their stores as a group.
Testimony from Female Employee C
(Worked at a store on the second floor)
"A person believed to be an Aeon employee wearing a vest labeled 'Information Team' gathered the employees and explained, 'We will not be able to operate today, so please go home as you are.' They also told us, 'It is dangerous, so please do not go inside.'"
However, several employees said they could not go home because their car keys or house keys were still in their lockers, and they went back inside.
The employees who returned went to retrieve their belongings. I also went back inside to lock the cash register and put the money away in the safe.
Evacuated Two Minutes Before the Explosion
Female Employee B returned to the second-floor store together with six employees from the same store. She recorded the conditions inside the building at the time.
Photographs show that the sprinkler system had been activated, leaving corridors and other areas flooded with water.
According to the time recorded on B's smartphone, she filmed the video on a staircase on the north side of the building at 5:43 p.m., just before the explosion.
She then evacuated through an exit on the north side of the central part of the building.
About two minutes later, she heard a deep "BOOM," similar to the sound of the ground shaking, and fine ash-like particles came flying toward her along with the blast wave.
B ran away from the building, but said that her entire body was covered in white dust.
Where Was the Smell of Gas Detected?
Several employees who returned inside after initially evacuating said they noticed the smell of gas.
Testimony from Female Employee D
(Worked at a store on the first floor)
"I went back to the store twice to retrieve my belongings and turn off the electricity. While I was heading outside after finishing what I needed to do, there was an extremely strong smell of gas. I felt that it was dangerous, so I quickly evacuated through an exit on the restaurant area side of the north side of the building."
She said that she did not notice any smell of gas when she returned to the store the first time.
"It Smells Like Gas. It Might Explode." — Employees Evacuate
C also said that at around 5:30 p.m., an employee who had returned with her said:
"It smells like gas. It might explode, so we should get out of here as quickly as possible."
C stopped what she was doing before she could finish locking the cash register and putting the money into the safe. She then evacuated through the employee entrance.
Female Employee C
(Worked at a store on the second floor)
"I was wearing a mask, but I definitely noticed an unusual smell that seemed like gas. After leaving the building, I got into my car and heard the sound of the explosion near the exit of the parking lot."
In addition, Female Employee E, who worked at a different second-floor store from C, said that she smelled gas in an employee passageway on the second floor when she returned to retrieve her belongings at around 5:20 p.m.
Female Employee E
(Worked at a store on the second floor)
"I went back to the second-floor store to get my belongings. As I approached the store, there was an incredibly strong, unusual smell. The dust made me feel a headache and nausea.
"To leave the building, I tried to use the employee passageway in the back area on the second floor, where the break room was located. When I opened the entrance door, I smelled what seemed to be leaking gas as well as another foul, fishy odor. The floor was also wet, so I decided not to go inside."
E then left the building through an exit on the north side, on the opposite side from where she had been, and got into her car in the parking lot. The explosion occurred while she was there.
Multiple Reports of a Gas Smell in the Southern and Western Areas of the Building
So far, several witnesses have reported smelling gas in areas on the southern and western sides of the building, where employee passageways were located.
On the other hand, some employees who returned to the eastern side of the building said they did not notice any smell of gas.
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