I saw a separate report that some deaths had already been confirmed. :( -- Kirk
2026-07-28 22:16 JST 2026 I saw a separate report that some deaths had already been confirmed. :( -- Kirk Aeon: Explosion reported at Kumamoto mall, many people trapped | NHK WORLD-JAPAN NewsThe Fire and Disaster Management Agency says many people could be trapped inside the Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima Town. An explosion was reported there following the quake, and the building's second floor has collapsed. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260728_30/ ↗ View original post on Facebook For a link to the original post on Facebook, open this page on a computer. Reactions: 26 · Shares: 5 ← 2026-07-28 21:24 JST 2026-07-29 09:06 JST → Around this time … 2026-07-29 09:42 JSTThis occurred nearer the epicenter than the Aeon Mall tragedy. -- Kirk2 people found in state of cardiopulmonary arrest at Kumamoto factory | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News 2026-07-29 09:39 JSTMore damage to castle walls. :( -- KirkKumamoto Castle walls 'came crashing down' 2026-07-29 09:31 JSTThis article has a video, apparently taken on the scene with a phone, showing the extent of the destruction at the Aeon Mall. Only physical destruction -- no carnage, but horrifying nonetheless. The report says that 20 to 30 people are unaccounted for.Hoping for miracles.Here's a ChatGPT translation of the text:--- start translation --- Explosion at AEON Mall Kumamoto; at Least Several People Confirmed DeadAt least several people have been confirmed dead following an explosion at a large shopping mall in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture.According to the fire department and other authorities, an emergency call was received at around 6:00 p.m. on the 28th reporting white smoke and the sound of an explosion at AEON Mall Kumamoto in Kashima.Part of the second floor reportedly collapsed.According to police sources, at least several deaths have been confirmed.The whereabouts of an estimated 20 to 30 people believed to be mall employees remain unknown. They are thought to be trapped inside the building.Authorities believe they may have been employees who remained in the mall after customers were evacuated.Firefighters are working to extinguish the fire and rescue those trapped inside.--- end translation ----- Kirk「イオンモール熊本」で爆発 少なくとも数人の死者確認 2026-07-29 09:26 JSTHere's a ChatGPT translation of this article. It mentions people in “cardiopulmonary arrest.” If you've been in Japan for a while, you may know that only physicians are qualified to formally certify a death, and journalists hesitate to report someone as having been found dead without such formal confirmation. So, when an emergency worker or police officer finds a person with no vital signs, the person is reported as being in “cardiopulmonary arrest” until a physician can officially declare them dead. :(--- start translation ---Three Dead at AEON Mall Following Explosion After Kumamoto Earthquake; Search for Missing People ContinuesMagnitude-7 shaking recorded in Kumamoto PrefectureJuly 29, 2026, 6:11 a.m.Updated July 29, 2026, 7:35 a.m.Police, firefighters, and other emergency personnel continued searching through the night for people whose safety remained unconfirmed following the earthquake that registered a maximum intensity of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in Kumamoto Prefecture.According to the local fire department, three people, including a woman in her twenties, have been confirmed dead at AEON Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, where an explosion occurred after the earthquake.One employee and four customers were also taken to the hospital. They were reportedly conscious. Authorities have received information that other employees may still be trapped inside the building. A senior government official said on the night of July 28 that a gas leak may have caused the explosion.At the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Mill in Yatsushiro, part of a smokestack broke off and collapsed, trapping 11 people. Two were rescued but were in cardiopulmonary arrest. The condition of the remaining nine people is unknown.The effects on infrastructure are also spreading across the prefecture, including water outages, power failures, and disruptions to transportation.The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging people to remain alert for earthquakes of a similar magnitude for approximately one week.According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, as of 7:00 a.m. on July 29, “Emergency Safety Measures,” the highest-level evacuation alert, had been issued for more than 90,000 people in two cities in Kumamoto Prefecture. Evacuation orders had also been issued for more than 260,000 people in Kumamoto and Nagasaki prefectures.The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake had characteristics similar to the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, which also produced shaking of intensity 7.“People should remain alert for earthquakes producing shaking as strong as intensity 7 for approximately one week,” the agency said. “Strong earthquakes occur particularly frequently during the first two or three days after the initial earthquake.”By 11:00 p.m. on July 28, 12 earthquakes producing shaking of intensity 4 or greater had been recorded.The earthquake has also caused extensive disruption to essential services.According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, approximately 140,000 households in 17 municipalities in Kumamoto Prefecture had lost their water supply. In Yatsushiro, all 60,000 households in the city were affected. The ministry asked the Japan Water Works Association to dispatch water-supply trucks to the disaster area.Kyushu Electric Power reported that 41,730 households in Kumamoto Prefecture were without electricity as of the early hours of July 29.Transportation operators have also been forced to suspend services.The Kyushu Shinkansen will remain suspended along its entire route on July 29. According to the Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau, streetcars will operate on all routes from the beginning of service, but will travel more slowly than usual to ensure safety.Japan Airlines has cancelled 11 flights arriving at or departing from Kumamoto Airport, while All Nippon Airways has cancelled two flights.The Japan Meteorological Agency forecasts a high of 34°C in the Kumamoto region on July 29. Beginning on July 30, the area is expected to come under a high-pressure system, bringing several consecutive days with temperatures of 35°C or higher. The agency is urging people to stay hydrated and take precautions against heatstroke.This was the first earthquake in Japan to produce shaking of intensity 7 since the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake.On July 28, the Japan Meteorological Agency officially named the disaster the “2026 Kumamoto Earthquake.”-- end translation ------ Kirk熊本地震、爆発のイオンモールで3人死亡 不明者の捜索続く - 日本経済新聞 2026-07-29 09:06 JSTI'll follow this up with more recent reports translated from Japanese. I'm afraid the new will not be good. :( -- KirkFirst deaths confirmed in Kumamoto mall explosion 2026-07-28 22:16 JSTI saw a separate report that some deaths had already been …Aeon: Explosion reported at Kumamoto mall, many people trapped | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News (this post) 2026-07-28 21:24 JSTThe two car icons you see take you to images of damaged roads. See my previous post for a link to the map and an explanation about how to use it:https://www.facebook.com/Kumamotoi/posts/pfbid02y6CEvY3sjvMqM25YMHN91C1zc5HVszPQ61Pif8MCwUeC7gPST7v2mjpoPVi655pCl-- Kirk 2026-07-28 21:08 JSTWell, unfortunately, there's quite a lot of damage but I think this map should help you get a sense of what sorts of damage have occurred and where. The map is only in Japanese but AI and other tools should make it fairly easy to use. For example, I clicked on one of the "NEW" items in Yatsushiro, took the screenshot you see, copied the Japanese and popped it in ChatGPT and got this:---- Start ChatGPT translation ---Matsuejomachi, Yatsushiro CityPart of a Structure at Yatsushiro Castle Ruins Park CollapsesAs of 6:43 p.m. on July 28This footage was taken at Yatsushiro Castle Ruins Park in Yatsushiro City at around 6:45 p.m. on July 28.Part of a structure has collapsed.--- end translation ---Sadly, there's enough damage to explore on this map to keep you busy for a while. :( -- Kirk https://news.web.nhk/bousai-map/saigai/?lat=32.6574&lng=130.7117&zoom=9&markerLat=32.4999&markerLng=130.7162&infoId=manual_20260728175319_119 2026-07-28 18:53 JSTThere seems to have been an explosion at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima (near Kumamoto City). The image is from this live feed:https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2832102-- Kirk P.S. I still don't know the details about the explosion but after hearing that it occurred significantly after the quakes and that many people had already been evacuated I'm now hearing on NHK that people are trapped inside. 2026-07-28 18:06 JSTGot an email from my university (Kumamoto Gakuen University). All classes scheduled for tomorrow are cancelled. Those of you working at other educational institutions may also find that classes have been canceled; please try to get confirmation directly from your workplace. -- Kirk 2026-07-28 17:59 JSTThe link will take you to live video. Fortunately you can use the seek bar to go back in time and check out what they have been talking about. Sadly, the quake seems to have caused some serious fires (screenshot from video) near the epicenter. -- Kirk (Just felt another little quake while writing this.)https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2832102
