A firefighter works at the site of Aeon Mall shopping centre, after an explosion occurred following an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture, in Kashima Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, on Jul 29, 2026. (Photo: Reuters.Kyodo News)
30 Jul 2026 10:14AM
(Updated: 30 Jul 2026 10:19AM)
KUMAMOTO, Japan: Up to 23 people were feared dead on Thursday (Jul 30) after a major earthquake in Japan, with four bodies now pulled out from the tangled wreckage of a shopping mall ripped apart by a suspected massive gas explosion.The Kumamoto disaster management office's latest tally put fatalities at 17 and those without vital signs at six, with five more in critical condition two days after the 7.1-magnitude tremor.Hundreds of rescue workers were meanwhile battling for another day to reach possible survivors in the remains of the Aeon shopping mall in Kashima in the Kumamoto region of southwestern Japan.At the mall, "we have pulled out 10 people. Of them, four were confirmed dead. Another is without vital signs. Another five have suffered severe and minor injuries", an official from Kumamoto's disaster management office told AFP.
Tuesday's tremor caused widespread damage on the island of Kyushu, flattening homes, damaging bridges, triggering fires and leaving tens of thousands of residents without power and water.
