TOKYO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- An explosion was reported Tuesday at a large shopping complex in Kumamoto Prefecture shortly after a powerful earthquake struck the region, local media reported.
Aeon Co., the mall operator, said the explosion occurred on the premises of Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima Town at around 6:00 p.m. local time. The mall had been open for business earlier in the day, but customers and staff had already been evacuated following the earthquake, public broadcaster NHK reported.
The company said it was still confirming whether there were any injuries resulting from the explosion.
According to local police, authorities received reports that part of the exterior wall of the shopping complex had collapsed.
The local fire department said it had received multiple emergency calls reporting an explosion-like sound and white smoke rising from the shopping center.
Footage filmed by an NHK helicopter at around 6:20 p.m. showed extensive structural damage to the building, with sections of the exterior wall peeled away and steel framework exposed. Parts of the roof appeared to have collapsed, and a large hole was visible on the rooftop.
Firefighters were dispatched to the scene and were investigating the situation, the report said.
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Kumamoto Prefecture at around 4:27 p.m., measuring max 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in the hardest-hit areas in the prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. ■
