An aerial photo shows sinkholes at an intersection in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo on Jan. 31, 2025.Photo:The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images
The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images
It waspreviously reported that police received an emergency calljust before 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 28, about a sinkhole that opened up at an intersection in Yashio, Saitama. According toThe Japan Times, the sinkhole was initially about 5 meters wide and 10 meters deep but has since expanded to approximately 40 meters wide and 15 meters deep.
The outlet states that heavy machinery may be needed to stabilize the site as rescue efforts continue for the man trapped inside the sinkhole.
The elderly man was conscious when he became trapped in the cabin of his flat-bed truck and was communicating with rescue workers but stopped responding on Tuesday afternoon,CNN reported.
“We are doing what we think is best. All we can do is proceed with the operation,” a rescuer from a local fire department told Japanese outletKyodo News.
According to the outlet, authorities are cautious that the sinkhole may be filling up with river water from a damaged underground rain pipe. It may take another two or three days for them to finish making an almost 30-meter-long ramp for rescuers to use in their search for the man.
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Japanese newspaperThe Mainichistates a sinkhole first appeared on Tuesday morning and after merging with a second that formed it has continued to expand.
However, no issues were found when the pipe was last inspected as required every five years.
source: people.com