Aeon Mall Kumamoto blast kills employee after company ordered cash deposit
An explosion ripped through Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima town on July 28, 2026, minutes after a magnitude‑7.1 earthquake struck the region. Seven people died, including two women who worked for the variety‑store chain Habita Inc. The 22‑year‑old employee, Kurumi Ohtake (also reported as 大竹玖瑠美), had evacuated after the quake but was told by a Habita manager to return inside and place the day's sales takings in the store safe. She and a colleague re‑entered the damaged building and were killed by a secondary gas explosion about five minutes later.
Habita later admitted giving the cash‑deposit instruction and issued an apology to the victim’s family. Police and the Labor Standards Inspection Office have opened investigations into possible criminal and occupational‑safety violations. The company’s public website and corporate listings were removed from its parent‑group’s online pages, prompting public anger over perceived concealment.
The incident has sparked calls for accountability and highlighted safety‑protocol failures during disaster response.
Entities: Aeon Co. · Aeon Co., Ltd. · Aeon Mall Kumamoto · Habita · Habita Inc. · Kumamoto Prefecture · Kurumi Ohtake · Kurumi Ootake · Labor Standards Inspection Office
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Police and the Labor Standards Inspection Office are investigating the incident. (multiple reports)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The explosion killed seven people, including two women employees. (multiple reports)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Habita's public website and corporate listings were removed from its parent‑group’s online pages after the incident. (multiple reports)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The victim was a 22‑year‑old employee named Kurumi Ohtake (also reported as 大竹玖瑠美). (multiple reports)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Habita Inc. apologized to the family of the victim. (multiple reports)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Habita Inc. admitted giving the instruction to return to the store to put cash in the safe. (multiple reports)
- [● 5 SOURCES] An explosion occurred at Aeon Mall Kumamoto on July 28, 2026, after a magnitude‑7.1 earthquake. (multiple reports)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The two women who died were instructed by their employer, Habita Inc., to return inside the mall to place cash sales into a safe. (multiple reports)