Two dead in shopping mall hit by Japan quake

Damage is seen to part of the Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Jul 29, 2026 after an earthquake struck the area. (Photo: AFP/Yuichi YAMAZAKI) 29 Jul 2026 07:02AM TOKYO: Two young women were found dead early Wednesday (Jul 29) in a mall badly damaged by a powerful earthquake and subsequent explosion in Japan, local media reported, as crews continued searching for missing people.Three other people were in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, public broadcaster NHK reported -- one at the mall and two others at a factory in Yatsushiro city where a smokestack collapsed.Nine other people were unaccounted for at the factory site, it said.The mall blast was likely caused by a gas leak, a government source told the Kyodo news agency. Ceilings and walls collapsed, leaving the str