TOKYO: The blast at a shopping mall in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, following an earthquakes on July 28, was likely caused by a liquefied petroleum gas leak, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry said on Aug 5.
The gas was used by the mall’s restaurants and other tenants mainly to cook and heat water.
The cause of the leak is still under investigation, the ministry said.
The blast, which killed three employees at stores inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto, had occurred at about 5.50pm on July 28 – about 80 minutes after the earthquake – and devastated the central area of the second floor on the mall’s south side.
During a search conducted by the Kumamoto prefectural police and fire authorities, there were reports of a smell of gas inside the building.
According to Aeon, LPG is used for cooking at restaurants on the north side of the mall’s first floor and at the food court on the east side of the second floor, as well as for air conditioning.
Gas from a storage tank that holds 9,367kg of LPG on the mall premises enters the facility through an underground pipe and then runs through a web of pipes in the floors and walls.
According to sources, the amount of gas left in the mall’s tank was almost at the same level as usual. Gas left in the pipes may have leaked out and built up inside the mall, leading to the explosion, they said. - The Japan News/ANN
