- A blast tore through the earthquake-hit Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, killing two store employees; their employer, general goods store Habita, apologised for the loss of two precious lives.
- Habita sales director Goji Yuse told NHK the instructions given at the time were inappropriate and that he truly regretted them; according to Kyodo, he later told reporters at the wake that looking back now, it was not worth a life.
- While most people in Aeon Mall had evacuated shortly after the earthquake, some employees were still in the building about an hour later when an explosion ripped through the mall.
- Otake's family told local media she ran into a relative outside the mall after the earthquake and said she had to go back in because her company asked her to move money from the cash register into a safe; two company representatives confirmed this and apologised at her wake.
- Otake's relative described her as someone with a strong sense of justice; she had supported her mother after her father died three years ago, and the relative said if she hadn't gone back inside the store at that time, Kurumi would still be with her family today.
- According to NHK, the company was considering how to proceed with the matter; local media reported Otake's mother as saying her daughter is not coming back. Habita, founded in 1976, operates more than ten stores across several prefectures.
A tragic explosion at Kumamoto's Aeon Mall claimed the lives of two workers, including 22-year-old Kurumi Otake, who were ordered back inside the building to secure cash after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on July 28.1236
The blast occurred about an hour after the earthquake, when most shoppers had evacuated. Otake had reportedly told a relative outside the mall that she needed to return to move money into a safe, a decision that ultimately cost her life.
Her employer, Habita, expressed deep regret, with sales director Goji Yuse stating, "The instructions given at the time were inappropriate, and I truly regret them." He added, "Looking back now, it was not worth a life."131415
The incident has raised questions about workplace safety and emergency protocols, especially as seven fatalities were reported from the mall during the earthquake's aftermath.
Otake's family described her as having a "strong sense of justice" and noted her dedication to supporting her mother after her father's death three years ago.101112
"If she hadn't gone back inside the store at that time, Kurumi would still be with her family today," a relative lamented.
Habita, founded in 1976, operates over ten stores across several prefectures and is now facing scrutiny over its safety practices following this tragic event.
“Habita apologized for the "loss of two precious lives," and sales director Goji Yuse told NHK the instructions were "inappropriate" and "not worth a life." The employees had been asked to move cash from the register into a safe after most people had evacuated the mall.”
BBC
