The rescue operations to save a 74-year-old truck driver trapped in a massive sinkhole in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, intensified on Friday (Jan 31), as rescuers grapple with unstable ground conditions and the growing hazards of the situation.
The driver had stopped near an intersection in Saitama Prefecture when the sinkhole suddenly opened beneath the road, swallowing him with the truck on Jan 28.
A massive sinkhole, initially measuring 10 meters in width and 5 meters in depth, has dramatically expanded to twice its original size after merging with a nearby sinkhole.
Contact with driver lost
According to Yoshifumi Hashiguchi, an official from the Yashio Fire Department, the driver last communicated with rescue teams on the afternoon of the incident, but contact was lost as the truck became increasingly buried by soil and debris.
Rescue efforts are underway to retrieve a truck swallowed by a massive sinkhole. While cranes have managed to lift the loading platform, the driver remains trapped in the cabin, which is still submerged.
A drone was sent to explore potential access points for rescuers, but no advancements were made.
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What did the authorities say?
Local authorities said the collapse was triggered by a burst sewer pipe under the road that transports wastewater to a nearby treatment facility. The damage to the pipeline has prompted the prefecture to issue a directive for 1.2 million residents in the area to refrain from using water.
In response to the incident, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said it has called for emergency inspections of similar infrastructure, particularly those connected to large-scale wastewater treatment plants.
(With inputs from agencies)