Japan has ended search operations at a shopping mall that collapsed and exploded following last week's earthquake. To date, 36 deaths have been confirmed, while many residents continue to live in shelters.
On Saturday, 1 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Japanese rescue officials announced they had ceased search and rescue efforts at the Aeon shopping mall in Kumamoto Prefecture, severely damaged by an explosion after last week's powerful earthquake. The death toll from the disaster stands at 36.
The Kumamoto Prefectural Disaster Management Office, which faced a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Tuesday, 28 July GMT+7, reported that officials rescued 12 people from the ruins of the Aeon mall. Among them, 7 have been confirmed dead.
"We have conducted thorough searches over the past two days, cooperating with fire departments, Self-Defense Forces, and local police to ensure no missing persons remain," police officials said at a disaster management meeting on Saturday, adding, "No additional missing persons have been found."
A spokesperson for Aeon, the mall's management company, told AFP that all seven deceased were employees of stores renting space within the mall.
On Friday, 31 July GMT+7, search and rescue operations ended at a paper factory in Yatsushiro city, Kumamoto Prefecture, where a chimney collapsed. Nine bodies were found, and two survivors were rescued.
This earthquake caused widespread damage across southern Japan, which is currently experiencing extreme heat. It destroyed homes, damaged numerous buildings, compromised several bridges, sparked multiple fires, and left many residents without electricity and running water.
As of Saturday, more than 9,000 people, mostly elderly, remain in evacuation centers. Although power outages have largely been resolved, approximately 59,000 households still lack access to running water.
Previously, Kumamoto city suffered severe earthquakes in 2016 when two quakes struck within less than two days, resulting in 273 deaths and over 2,800 injuries.
Follow international news:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:cna