Two workers killed in blast after re-entering quake-hit Japan mall on boss' order
Two employees were killed in an explosion at a Japanese shopping mall after being ordered by their employer to re-enter the quake-damaged building to secure cash. The company has since apologized, acknowledging that the decision to prioritize property over human life was inappropriate.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the ethical and legal responsibilities of employers during natural disasters and the potential for corporate negligence in high-stress environments.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Two store employees were killed after a blast tore through the earthquake-hit Aeon Mall in Kumamoto
Two workers who died in a shopping mall explosion that followed a powerful earthquake in Japan last week were asked by a boss to re-enter the building to secure cash.
Their employer, general goods store Habita, has apologised for the "loss of two precious lives".
The two were among 38 people who died in the magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture on 28 July. Seven of the fatalities were from Aeon Mall.
"The instructions given at the time were inappropriate, and I truly regret them," Habita sales director Goji Yuse said, NHK reported.
One of two workers has been named as 22-year-old Kurumi Otake. The identity of the other deceased employee has not been made public.
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