Two workers killed in blast after re-entering quake-hit Japan mall on boss' order

What the report says

Two employees of Japanese general goods retailer Habita were killed when an explosion hit Aeon Mall in Kumamoto prefecture after a major earthquake, according to BBC World News. The deaths came after the workers were told by a supervisor to go back into the quake-damaged mall to secure cash from the register, a decision the company later said was inappropriate.

The BBC reported that Habita apologised for the “loss of two precious lives” and that sales director Goji Yuse said he deeply regretted the instruction. One of the victims was identified as 22-year-old Kurumi Otake. Family members told local media she had briefly met a relative outside the mall after the quake before returning inside because of the work request. Company representatives later apologised to her family at her wake.

The blast occurred in the aftermath of the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck Kumamoto on 28 July, which killed 38 people overall, including seven at Aeon Mall. Some workers were still inside the building about an hour after the quake when the explosion happened. The case has drawn attention in Japan to workplace safety and decision-making during disasters. Habita, founded in 1976, operates more than ten stores across several prefectures.