Japanese mall is rebuilt to withstand earthquakes. Then it collapses again

Four bodies have been pulled from the rubble of the Aeon mall after an earthquake hit Kumamoto, followed by an explosion on Tuesday

Then Tuesday’s magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook this new-found confidence.

“When this quake hit, I immediately knew the epicentre was close,” 30-year-old Nishiyama told Agence France-Presse. “I didn’t think this was going to happen here again.”

Two quakes – at magnitude 6.5 and 7.3 – on April 14 and 15, 2016, killed 273 people in Kumamoto. Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a hive of social activity in the car and semiconductor chip manufacturing hub, took a severe hit then.

In the aftermath, it started reinforcement work under the slogan of creating a “disaster-resistant shopping mall”, The Asia Business Daily reported. The ceilings were strengthened to better resist seismic movements while lighting and equipment fixtures were relocated to minimise the risk of dropping.

On June 13, the sprawling complex – the largest commercial facility in Kumamoto prefecture with over 200 shops, a food court and a cinema complex – reopened after a makeover to mark the 10th anniversary of the quake. It promised to be a place where generations could “share smiles”.