The company operating stores within Aeon Mall Kumamoto acknowledged ordering two female employees, who had safely evacuated after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, to reenter the building to secure cash in a safe just minutes before a powerful explosion killed them both. The company apologized to the victims' families and pledged to make employee safety its highest priority.
Habita Company, which operates retail stores inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, admitted that it ordered two female employees to reenter the building after evacuation to store sales cash in a safe, shortly before a violent explosion that resulted in their deaths.
The incident occurred on 28 July following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture. Both employees were able to evacuate the mall safely but were instructed to return to the store to secure cash before a gas explosion inside the mall around 17:50, roughly 80 minutes after the earthquake, caused seven fatalities in total within the mall.
One of the deceased was 22-year-old Kurumi Otake, who had recently transferred to this branch in early July.
Koji Yuse, a 64-year-old company director, publicly apologized and admitted that ordering the employees back into the building was a mistaken decision. "Ordering the employees to reenter the building was a company error. We deeply regret the loss of these two precious lives," he said.
He explained that on the day of the incident, the store manager was not on duty, leaving the two employees alone to manage the store. After the earthquake, the company confirmed that both had evacuated safely before the headquarters instructed the store manager to send a message to the employees stating,
"If you can safely return, please secure the cash sales in the safe. If it is not safe, there is no need to do so."
This aligns with the victims' families' statements, which said that after reaching the outdoor parking lot, Kurumi Otake told relatives, "The company ordered us to go back and secure the cash in the safe." She and her colleague then returned to the mall, and the explosion occurred about five minutes later.
Shortly before, Otake had sent a LINE message to her mother stating, "I'm safe." However, after the explosion, the family could no longer contact her. Her phone signal remained inside the store until rescue workers found her and her colleague's bodies around 02:00 the next day. Their bodies were severely damaged, requiring DNA testing for identification.
Otoke's relatives expressed grief, saying that if the explosion had not occurred and she had not been ordered back into the building, she would still be alive. They questioned whether employers should prioritize employee safety above all else.
The family revealed Otake was a highly responsible young woman who worked diligently to support her mother after her father's death three years prior. She was also a fan of a male artist and had already purchased concert and plane tickets to attend a show in November.
After the incident, Habita Company announced plans to revise safety measures, affirming that from now on, evacuation will be the top priority, and employees will no longer be ordered to reenter buildings following disasters.
The Kumamoto Prefectural Government reported that as of 3 August, 36 people have died directly from the earthquake, with two more deaths under investigation. Additionally, over 4,600 buildings were damaged, and more than 8,000 people remain in 206 evacuation centers across the prefecture.