Two women who die in an explosion at an Aeon mall in Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture are reported to have been ordered back inside by their employer to secure cash after the area was hit by a powerful earthquake. Multiple outlets report that the women were working at a variety store operated by Habita in the Aeon shopping centre when an explosion occurred following the quake. After evacuating the store, the employer instructs at least two workers to re-enter the mall to retrieve or secure sales proceeds in a safe. The BBC reports that the employer apologises for sending them back. The South China Morning Post and Japan Today add that Habita executives speak to the families of the victims and provide written accounts of the events. According to these reports, one victim was 22-year-old Kurumi Otake. The reports present the incident as an employer-directed decision during the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, followed by the fatal blast at the mall.