Aeon Admits Allowing Temporary Re-entry After Kumamoto Mall Explosion, Will Revise Rules
Aeon confirmed on August 11 that it temporarily allowed people back into Aeon Mall Kumamoto after the July 29 explosion that killed seven people, overturning President Akio Yoshida's earlier denial. Evacuation of customers and tenant staff was completed by 5 pm that day, but many employees who could not get home requested entry to retrieve car keys, ID cards and phones. Aeon cited a lack of established procedures and will revise its manuals and rules.
Aeon announced on August 11 that it confirmed it had temporarily allowed people to enter the Aeon Mall Kumamoto premises in Koshimachi, Kumamoto Prefecture, following the explosion there. The incident, which occurred on July 29, killed seven people. On the day of the accident, evacuation of customers and tenant employees to the outdoors was completed by 5 pm after the earthquake.
Subsequently, the safety confirmation system sent notices to tenant store managers and employees stating that business was suspended for the day and that they should go home, but no notice lifting the evacuation order and permitting return to the building was issued. Although President Akio Yoshida had explicitly denied that entry was allowed at a press conference on July 29, the company has now confirmed that such entry did in fact occur. Because many employees commuted by car and were unable to get home, they needed to retrieve car keys, identification documents, mobile phones and other valuables, and also had needs such as using restrooms and settling accounts, giving rise to requests to enter the building.
Aeon said that, amid the chaotic on-site situation, the requests from those who could not go home had to be handled individually, and it confirmed that temporary entry was permitted. The reason was that, in the absence of established rules or manuals after the accident, as well as training and management systems, on-site staff exercised their own judgment. Aeon acknowledged that its earthquake disaster prevention rules and evacuation drills did not cover the recovery of belongings after evacuation or specific responses for people unable to return home.
In response, Aeon has decided to revise its manuals and amend its rules to allow employees to carry valuables while working, in order to prevent re-entry in future. In addition, Aeon will continue to investigate the cause of the explosion through an accident investigation committee comprising external experts and develop measures to prevent recurrence.