New Delhi, July 28 -- KUMAMOTO - The ceiling of the Aeon Mall gave way on a packed weekday afternoon, sending concrete and ceiling material onto shoppers in the atrium below. When a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Kumamoto region of Kyushu without warning on Monday, residents had no time to reach exits before the building's interior began to fall. Rescue workers were still pulling victims from the rubble four hours later.

At least several people were killed in the mall collapse alone, with the government warning the toll would rise considerably as teams penetrated deeper into unstable sections. More than 50 people were confirmed injured across the prefecture. The earthquake's epicenter sat just 10 kilometers below Uki city in souther...