Two women died in an explosion at an Aeon shopping centre in Japan following an earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture on July 28. According to reports, the earthquake resulted in 38 deaths, seven of which occurred at Aeon Mall.
The victims included 22-year-old Kurumi Otake. A male relative described Otake as having a 'strong sense of responsibility,' while a relative stated she possessed a 'strong sense of justice.' Otake's mother said, '[My daughter] isn’t coming back.'
The two women were instructed by their employer, Habita, to re-enter the Aeon shopping centre to secure cash. Habita, which was founded in 1976 and operates more than ten stores across several prefectures in Japan, according to the company, addressed the incident.
The instructions given at the time were inappropriate, and I truly regret them.
Looking back now, it was not worth a life.
Sources provided conflicting data regarding the seismic event. One report identified the earthquake as magnitude 7.1, while another identified it as magnitude 6.8.
