Earthquake and explosion in Japan shopping mall – witnesses recount panic and destruction

The powerful earthquake that struck Japan on Tuesday caused significant damage in the city of Kashima, where a shopping mall was severely damaged. An explosion, suspected to have been caused by a gas leak, further worsened the condition of the structure.

Aeon Mall was one of the facilities most affected by the tremors. During the earthquake, the second floor of the building collapsed, and immediately afterwards a powerful explosion caused massive destruction. Although hundreds of customers and staff were evacuated, authorities suspect that some people may still be trapped under the rubble.

According to witnesses, panic was immediate. Takateru Sonoda, who owns a hair salon and a café near the shopping area, described the event as a bomb explosion. He said that sirens went off immediately, crowds started running in all directions, and chaos engulfed the surrounding streets.

About 170 soldiers were sent to the scene to support search and rescue teams, official sources said.

Employees of the shopping complex said the tremors lasted about 10 seconds and the building was quickly covered in clouds of dust. They followed standard procedures for evacuating visitors, but some of them went back inside moments before the explosion occurred.

Another witness, Kazuya Tsurunaga, who was about 300 meters away from the scene, said that after the explosion a dense cloud of smoke formed and ash spread across the area, resembling ‘volcanic ash’.

Japanese media have broadcast dramatic footage of the moments after the earthquake, showing the major destruction at the shopping mall. This complex had reopened just a month earlier, after restoration work following damage from the 2016 earthquake.