Japan Mall Worker, 22, Dies in Gas Explosion After Earthquake as Bosses 'Instructed' Her Back Inside for Shop's Cash

A 22-year-old shopping centre worker died in a suspected gas explosion in Japan after, her family say, she was instructed to go back into a damaged mall to secure the day's cash takings, just minutes after surviving a powerful earthquake.

Kurumi Ohtake had already escaped the initial July 28 quake and safely evacuated Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima town. She was killed in a blast five minutes after returning inside to retrieve money from her general store's till, acting on what her relatives described as direct company instructions.

The 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake struck at 4.27 p.m. with a maximum seismic intensity of seven, claiming at least 36 lives across the region. Seven of those killed were tenant staff at the mall, locally known as Claire, when a secondary explosion tore through the complex shortly after the ground stopped shaking.

Tragic Final Moments of the Evacuated Mall Worker

Ohtake had escaped the general store where she worked and met her aunt and cousin in the designated parking area.

At the time, she sent a message via the LINE messaging application to her mother to confirm she was safe from the tremors.

The situation changed when Ohtake told relatives she needed to go back inside the shattered building. According to a male family member speaking to the press, the young woman said she had to put the cash register sales into the safe.

Despite her aunt and cousin attempting to stop her, Ohtake and a female colleague headed back towards the damaged shops, telling their families that someone from the company asked them to.

Contact was lost almost immediately after the blast occurred just five minutes later. Her text messages remained unread and phone calls went unanswered as her family watched the overnight rescue operations. The location information on her mobile tracking application, whoo, stayed fixed inside the shopping centre.

Her family believes her death was preventable and is seeking answers regarding the company's emergency protocols.

'She had evacuated once, so no one could have imagined that Kurumi would be caught in an explosion and die,' the male relative said. 'It is unspeakable. I have no words.'

Relatives Demand Accountability

Fire department officials eventually confirmed the news to family members waiting outside. Rescue teams found two women collapsed near the general store, with identification cards belonging to Ohtake located nearby in the rubble.

Officials informed the family that while the outcome was unfortunate, they believed the body belonged to the young worker. Her identity was officially confirmed through DNA testing alongside her colleague.

The family is now calling for full transparency from the tenant company regarding the orders given to staff during the disaster. The male relative expressed deep heartbreak over the nature of her death, noting the family's regret that her aunt and cousin were unable to stop her from returning inside.

'We have requested that they speak properly with the tenant company and bring the absolute truth to light,' the relative stated.

'If the explosion hadn't happened, I think she would still be alive today,' her mother explained to reporters, struggling through her tears. 'I just want to know exactly why this happened.'

Ohtake's mother described her eldest daughter as a responsible and kind girl, while a male relative remembered her as bright, honest, and loved by everyone. The family continues to question the company's directive to secure the shop's revenue during a major disaster.