Two women were killed in an explosion at a shopping mall in Tokyo after their employer instructed them to go back inside the building to retrieve money, according to Malay Mail.
The blast occurred at the Aeon Mall after an earthquake had struck the area. The two women, both employees, had initially evacuated the premises but were ordered by their boss to re-enter the structure to secure cash, Malay Mail reports. They died when the explosion ripped through the mall.
The incident has drawn attention to the safety protocols followed during seismic events. The order to return to the building came shortly after the earthquake, when the risk of secondary hazards such as gas leaks or structural damage remained high, according to the report.
The explosion is part of a broader pattern of damage caused by the earthquake in the region. Separate reporting from Smithsonian Magazine notes that a 400-year-old Japanese castle, which had previously survived a samurai siege, crumbled during the same seismic event. The castle was long considered impenetrable, highlighting the severity of the quake’s impact on the area’s infrastructure.
The deaths of the two women raise questions about workplace safety directives issued during emergency situations. Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the employer’s order and whether it violated any regulations, according to Malay Mail. The focus will likely be on whether the women were given adequate warning about the dangers of re-entering the building after the quake.
