6 ms·

NHK TV is showing extensive damage including fallen smokestacks at Nippon Paper Factory facility, bridge road separation, fallen bridge lane, road cracks, fire,

by akg_67 2mo ago

NHK TV is showing extensive damage including fallen smokestacks at Nippon Paper Factory facility, bridge road separation, fallen bridge lane, road cracks, fire, water coming out of drainage etc. It was a huge earthquake and will take some time to assess the damage.

Gravityloss 2mo ago
I at least can see English translated version of NHK here https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/live_tv/ https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/live_tv/
ktallett 2mo ago
There is a collapsed roof of a shopping centre as well in Kumamoto. The Aeon Mall.
- deleted 2mo ago
  [deleted]
- kalleboo 2mo ago
  The mall had a (most likely gas) explosion, and there are many dead being found inside https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2833412?display=1 https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2833412?display=1
  - traceroute66 2mo ago
    > The mall had a (most likely gas) explosion If the internet searches are to be believed, that is indeed sadly likely to be the cause. The internet suggests the explosion happened on the second floor of the mall where a large food court is located.
    - bombcar 2mo ago
      A hundred years from now people are going to be absolutely flabbergasted how we just piped gas everywhere all the time. Electricity allows for so many more automatic safeguards.
      - kalleboo 2mo ago
        Yeah it's crazy to me, especially in earthquake-prone places like Japan or California. I bought a house here in Japan last year and replaced the gas with all-electric due to concerns of not only leaks and disasters but also just in day-to-day use gas isn't good for indoor air quality.
        UltraSane 2mo ago
        The one place gas makes sense is heating in cold climates because furnaces are externally vented.
        bombcar 2mo ago
        Modern ones are well done, but old chimney based ones are a notorious problem. Cooking is really the only thing where gas has real (e.g., not cost) advantages. Nobody says “this hot water just doesn’t feel right, I like it boiled by dragon’s breath”. But a steak burned with gas is different than one burned with hot electric.
        Marsymars 2mo ago
        If you have the space/configuration for it, a really nice setup is an induction stove in the house, and then a gas-powered BBQ, so then you can cook outside for things that really call for gas. (Without any effect on your indoor air quality.)
        crote 2mo ago
        Even that is doubtful. Heat pumps are so much more efficient than combustion that it is basically a no-brainer. You're looking at "winter at McMurdo Station" weather before furnaces become a must.
      - traceroute66 2mo ago
        > Electricity allows for so many more automatic safeguards. Since the mid-2000s there has actually been a push by Japanese utility companies for adoption of what they call "all-electric" オール電化. Adoption has been reasonably good with new-builds because they can also have solar panels. But adoption in older properties has been slower. First in general, electricity in Japan has tended to be more expensive than gas. Second, a large Part of the slow adoption comes from cooking related inertia. A lot of traditional (and therefore very common) Japanese cookware just will not work on electric, full stop. For example, traditional donabe (clay pots). Beyond that, for example, aluminium pans being non-ferromagnetic will not work on induction. Yes you find aluminium pans in the West with extra ferromagnetic bases attached, but that is not common in Japan. Finally, the Japan Society of Cookery Science did commission a study[1] where they had two groups of people cook four dishes on both gas and induction. The conclusion was gas was preferred across all four. [1]https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cookeryscience/47/6/47_326/_article/-char/en https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cookeryscience/47/6/47_...
  - kalleboo 2mo ago
    This article has confirmation that there was a report of a gas leak, and if you scroll down there is a dashcam video of the explosion https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015188721000 https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015188721000
- m4rtink 2mo ago
  For the record, Aeon Mall is basically a brand - there are many Aeon malls in Japan in various cities.
  - ktallett 2mo ago
    Yes but there is just one in Kumamoto.
- deleted 2mo ago
  [deleted]
- vondur 2mo ago
  That mall was also damaged in a similar earthquake that happened in 2016.
  - kalleboo 2mo ago
    And ironically in their press release for the re-open they said they re-built it with more disaster-proofing with the knowledge from the previous disaster...
    - bobthepanda 2mo ago
      The emerging thing is that the earthquake caused a gas leak which later caused an explosion. Pipes will just go out of alignment during an earthquake, there isn’t a ton you can do to prevent that wholly. My question is why upon calling in a gas leak, the mall was not immediately evacuated and cordoned off.
      - kalleboo 2mo ago
        I've always wondered why automatic earthquake shutoff valves weren't a requirement. Apparently they're required in some areas of the US by surprisingly recent code (2013 in Los Angeles is what I'm seeing?) but I've never heard of it in Japan. Maybe this incident will be a regulatory turning point.
- timr 2mo ago
  The second floor of the mall exploded for some reason, and the roof collapse is secondary to that. It seems to have happened after the earthquake and subsequent evacuation. There are videos of people leaving the mall: https://x.com/yuto4388/status/2082060992377475247/video/1?s=42 https://x.com/yuto4388/status/2082060992377475247/video/1?s=...
  - ktallett 2mo ago
    It is due to a gas leak that caused an explosion.
    - timr 2mo ago
      It definitely wasn't known at the time I wrote my comment, and as far as I know right now, they haven't announced the cause. Few things would create an explosion of this size, so it's a logical inference, but you never know. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260728_30/ https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260728_30/ Local (i.e. Japanese language) news is speculating an LP leak.

by akg_67 2mo ago

Gravityloss 2mo ago

I at least can see English translated version of NHK here https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/live_tv/ https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/live_tv/

ktallett 2mo ago

There is a collapsed roof of a shopping centre as well in Kumamoto. The Aeon Mall.

deleted 2mo ago
[deleted]
kalleboo 2mo ago
The mall had a (most likely gas) explosion, and there are many dead being found inside https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2833412?display=1 https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2833412?display=1
- traceroute66 2mo ago
  > The mall had a (most likely gas) explosion If the internet searches are to be believed, that is indeed sadly likely to be the cause. The internet suggests the explosion happened on the second floor of the mall where a large food court is located.
  - bombcar 2mo ago
    A hundred years from now people are going to be absolutely flabbergasted how we just piped gas everywhere all the time. Electricity allows for so many more automatic safeguards.
    - kalleboo 2mo ago
      Yeah it's crazy to me, especially in earthquake-prone places like Japan or California. I bought a house here in Japan last year and replaced the gas with all-electric due to concerns of not only leaks and disasters but also just in day-to-day use gas isn't good for indoor air quality.
      - UltraSane 2mo ago
        The one place gas makes sense is heating in cold climates because furnaces are externally vented.
        bombcar 2mo ago
        Modern ones are well done, but old chimney based ones are a notorious problem. Cooking is really the only thing where gas has real (e.g., not cost) advantages. Nobody says “this hot water just doesn’t feel right, I like it boiled by dragon’s breath”. But a steak burned with gas is different than one burned with hot electric.
        Marsymars 2mo ago
        If you have the space/configuration for it, a really nice setup is an induction stove in the house, and then a gas-powered BBQ, so then you can cook outside for things that really call for gas. (Without any effect on your indoor air quality.)
        crote 2mo ago
        Even that is doubtful. Heat pumps are so much more efficient than combustion that it is basically a no-brainer. You're looking at "winter at McMurdo Station" weather before furnaces become a must.
    - traceroute66 2mo ago
      > Electricity allows for so many more automatic safeguards. Since the mid-2000s there has actually been a push by Japanese utility companies for adoption of what they call "all-electric" オール電化. Adoption has been reasonably good with new-builds because they can also have solar panels. But adoption in older properties has been slower. First in general, electricity in Japan has tended to be more expensive than gas. Second, a large Part of the slow adoption comes from cooking related inertia. A lot of traditional (and therefore very common) Japanese cookware just will not work on electric, full stop. For example, traditional donabe (clay pots). Beyond that, for example, aluminium pans being non-ferromagnetic will not work on induction. Yes you find aluminium pans in the West with extra ferromagnetic bases attached, but that is not common in Japan. Finally, the Japan Society of Cookery Science did commission a study[1] where they had two groups of people cook four dishes on both gas and induction. The conclusion was gas was preferred across all four. [1]https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cookeryscience/47/6/47_326/_article/-char/en https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cookeryscience/47/6/47_...
- kalleboo 2mo ago
  This article has confirmation that there was a report of a gas leak, and if you scroll down there is a dashcam video of the explosion https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015188721000 https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015188721000
m4rtink 2mo ago
For the record, Aeon Mall is basically a brand - there are many Aeon malls in Japan in various cities.
- ktallett 2mo ago
  Yes but there is just one in Kumamoto.
deleted 2mo ago
[deleted]
vondur 2mo ago
That mall was also damaged in a similar earthquake that happened in 2016.
- kalleboo 2mo ago
  And ironically in their press release for the re-open they said they re-built it with more disaster-proofing with the knowledge from the previous disaster...
  - bobthepanda 2mo ago
    The emerging thing is that the earthquake caused a gas leak which later caused an explosion. Pipes will just go out of alignment during an earthquake, there isn’t a ton you can do to prevent that wholly. My question is why upon calling in a gas leak, the mall was not immediately evacuated and cordoned off.
    - kalleboo 2mo ago
      I've always wondered why automatic earthquake shutoff valves weren't a requirement. Apparently they're required in some areas of the US by surprisingly recent code (2013 in Los Angeles is what I'm seeing?) but I've never heard of it in Japan. Maybe this incident will be a regulatory turning point.
timr 2mo ago
The second floor of the mall exploded for some reason, and the roof collapse is secondary to that. It seems to have happened after the earthquake and subsequent evacuation. There are videos of people leaving the mall: https://x.com/yuto4388/status/2082060992377475247/video/1?s=42 https://x.com/yuto4388/status/2082060992377475247/video/1?s=...
- ktallett 2mo ago
  It is due to a gas leak that caused an explosion.
  - timr 2mo ago
    It definitely wasn't known at the time I wrote my comment, and as far as I know right now, they haven't announced the cause. Few things would create an explosion of this size, so it's a logical inference, but you never know. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260728_30/ https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260728_30/ Local (i.e. Japanese language) news is speculating an LP leak.