20 to 30 employees unaccounted for after explosion at quake-hit Kumamoto mall in SW Japan

TOKYO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Between 20 and 30 employees remain unaccounted for following an explosion at Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, after a powerful earthquake struck the region earlier, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The National Police Agency said multiple people believed to be employees of Aeon Mall Kumamoto could not be contacted after the explosion struck the major shopping complex in Kashima Town, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Authorities have information indicating that between 20 and 30 employees remain unreachable, the report said.

Police and firefighters are checking whether the missing employees are trapped inside the damaged building and searching the building for those who may still be trapped, it added.

Most customers had already been evacuated to outdoor areas following the explosion that occurred at around 6 p.m. local time, according to local authorities. However, it remains unclear whether any customers are among the missing, the report said.

Separately, authorities said they have also received information indicating that fewer than 10 other people remain unaccounted for elsewhere as a result of the magnitude-7.1 earthquake that struck the southwestern Japanese prefecture at 4:27 p.m. local time.