According to Japan's Kyodo News, the large shopping mall 'Mall of Dreams Kumamoto', located in Kamido Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, suffered an explosion at the end of July due to the earthquake. Seven people were killed, and there is still no hope of its reopening.
According to reports, Kaido Town has a population of only over 10,000 people, yet the mall employs approximately 2,700 staff members from both the town and outside. This has always created jobs and boosted the local economy. Employees have expressed concerns about their future: "Can we still work here in the future? What will happen to our salaries?"
According to the Evergrande Group, there are a total of 204 shops in this mall, including supermarkets and cinemas. Before the explosion, there were approximately 3,000 customers in the mall. After the earthquake, the large parking lot, which could accommodate about 5,000 vehicles, was left with only a few related government vehicles scattered around. At the entrance of the parking lot, there is a flower bed where numerous bouquets and drinks have been placed as a tribute to those who lost their lives.
A 40-year-old male employee working at a food store said, 'Now no one can enter the mall, and my supervisor has not given any notices regarding the resumption of work.'
He himself also suffered from the earthquake in his town. When talking about his future life, he said with a worried expression, “I have no idea when I will be able to return to work. I’m also completely unclear about how my salary will be paid during this period.”
About reopening, Yong Wang side expressed: "No specific plan has been determined yet."
