Japanese officials said Saturday they had ended rescue operations at a shopping mall devastated by an explosion following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 36 people. A spokesperson for Aeon, operators of the mall, told AFP that the seven people who died were employees of tenant stores. On Friday, rescue operations were terminated at a paper factory where a smokestack collapsed. The quake caused widespread damage in the sweltering southwestern region, flattening homes, damaging bridges, triggering fires and leaving many without electricity and water. Kumamoto itself was hit by two devastating earthquakes in 2016, which killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800.nf/fox