Japanese mall is rebuilt to withstand earthquakes. Then it collapses again

Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto was rebuilt to withstand earthquakes after it was damaged in strong quakes in April 2016. Its June reopening was meant to be a fresh start, the gleaming building a symbol of rebirth for the mall and residents of Kashima town. Then Tuesday’s magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook this new-found confid

YATSUSHIRO, Japan - Rescuers frantically searched for survivors on Wednesday, a day after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook southern Japan, killing at least 13 people, knocking out power to thousands of homes and rupturing roads across the region.

A larger earthquake in Japan caused widespread destruction, killing at least 18 and leaving many injured or missing as rescue efforts continue.

Emergency search and rescue crews are combing through the mangled wreckage of buildings after a devastating earthquake rattled southern Japan, killing over a dozen people. CBS News' Anna Coren has the latest details.

4 min readJul 29, 2026 02:02 PM IST Damaged cars in a parking lot at the Aeon Mall shopping centre, where an explosion occurred after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 struck Japans southern Kumamoto prefecture, July 29, 2026. (REUTERS) A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Japan on Tuesday trigg

Before the magnitude-7.1 earthquake hit, the mall had highlighted its seismically reinforced ceilings and improvements to safety and ⁠resilience.

Dozens of people were hospitalized after the earthquake hit southern Japan. According to media reports, at least two women were killed after a shopping mall partially collapsed in the town of Kashima.

A massive explosion ripped through Aeon Mall in Kumamoto just weeks after its grand reopening, leaving up to 30 employees unaccounted for.

The strongest impact was felt in the Kumamoto region on Kyushu island, where the 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The Aeon Mall outlet in Kumamoto partially collapsed after the large earthquake with the retailer reporting an explosion.