The June 13 reopening was supposed to be a fresh start for the shopping centre, which had been damaged in a deadly tremor in 2016.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities were still assessing the full extent of the damage in the area, which was devastated by a deadly quake a decade ago.

Japan Earthquake updates: Several people who were trapped inside a mall are feared to have died after an earthquake in Japan

Explosion reported at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, Japan, after an earthquake. pic.twitter.com/f7d5UbQA72