Gas leak could have caused Japan shopping mall explosion during the quake

Authorities believe the explosion at Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping centre which partially collapsed after today’s earthquake, may have been caused by a gas leak, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported.

The broadcaster cited multiple government officials as saying a strong smell of gas was detected at the scene.

One theory is that gas equipment used by restaurants in the mall could have been “damaged by the earthquake, causing a gas leak that later ignited and exploded,” TV Asahi said.

But investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the explosion at the centre, where many people remain trapped.

-CNN