Two women who worked at an Aeon shopping mall in Kumamoto Prefecture die after a blast that followed a powerful earthquake in the area, according to multiple reports. The women had evacuated after the earthquake but are described as being sent back inside on instructions from their employer. Their manager and company representatives say the order was to secure sales cash proceeds by putting money into a safe. BBC and other outlets report that the employer apologises, including to the family of at least one of the victims, after the deaths. South China Morning Post adds that company executives from Habita, the operator of the variety store where the victims worked, provide a written account of events to a family member and express regret at the wake. NDTV and Al Jazeera report that the workers die in connection with the mall blast that occurs after the earthquake, with NDTV specifying a gas explosion. While the accounts align on the re-entry instruction and the stated purpose of retrieving or securing cash, the reports focus on the company’s acknowledgement and apology rather than on detailed findings into the cause of the blast beyond the description of a gas-related explosion.