2 women who died in Aeon mall blast were told to return inside by employer

KUMAMOTO, Japan - Two women who died in an explosion at an Aeon shopping mall following a powerful earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture last week were instructed by their employer to return inside to put sales proceeds in a safe, the company said Sunday.

Two executives of Habita Inc., which operates the variety store where the women died, said they apologized to the family of one of the victims, 22-year-old Kurumi Otake, at her wake and handed over a written account of events.