Japan Earthquake

A firefighter searches the damaged AEON Mall following an explosion triggered by an earthquake in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southern Japan, Friday, July 31, 2026.

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Japan ends rescue operation at a mall that collapsed after a strong quake

Japan ends rescue operation at a mall that collapsed after a strong quake

Authorities have ended a massive search-and-rescue operation at a collapsed shopping mall in southwest Japan following a powerful earthquake that killed 34 people earlier this week. The magnitude 7.1 quake hit Kumamoto on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. The Aeon Mall in Kashima was one of the hardest-hit sites. An explosion that followed the quake caused its walls and second floor to crumple. Rescuers extracted five people from under mall debris and retrieved the bodies of seven others over the past five days. On Saturday, officials said all missing were accounted for and ended the operation at the Aeon Mall.