Two women died in an explosion at an Aeon shopping centre in Kashima, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, following a powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2026. According to the company, the women were instructed by their employer to return inside the store to secure sales proceeds in a safe after initially evacuating.

One of the victims, 22-year-old Kurumi Otake, evacuated the Aeon shopping centre but was later seen re-entering the building. Two executives of Habita, which operates the variety store where the women died, apologized to Otake's family at her wake and handed over a written account of the events.

Otake's mother expressed her grief, saying, “[My daughter] isn’t coming back.” A male relative told reporters that Otake had a strong sense of responsibility, recalling that the family had been joking and laughing together about three months earlier.

The incident has raised concerns about workplace safety protocols during emergencies.

Sources