A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, triggering significant infrastructure damage and widespread power outages.
The seismic event, which occurred in the early hours, was followed by a devastating explosion at a local shopping mall, complicating rescue operations and raising fears of further casualties.
Video footage circulating on social media shows large sections of the mall’s ceiling collapsed, store fronts blown open, and furniture strewn across the floor.
Workers inside the building described being thrown to the ground or enveloped in thick clouds of dust as the quake hit.
Those who survived the initial tremor faced a second threat when the blast occurred approximately an hour later.
The disaster has drawn attention to the vulnerability of commercial infrastructure in seismically active zones.