Rescuers race to pull out truck driver stuck in Japan sinkhole for days

2025-01-31 05:04:00

Abstract: Japanese rescuers seek truck driver trapped in expanding sinkhole near Tokyo. Road collapse & burst pipe hampered efforts. Evacuations ordered. Aging infrastructure cited.

Japanese rescue workers are making every effort to rescue a truck driver trapped in a sinkhole that appeared on Tuesday and has continued to expand. The incident occurred in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, where a truck was swallowed by the ground.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by the continued collapse of the road. Local officials have ordered the evacuation of dozens of households in the area. According to local media reports, the 74-year-old truck driver last responded to rescuers on Tuesday afternoon. While emergency responders have removed the truck's cargo container from the pond-sized sinkhole, the cab remains buried under soil and debris.

The initial sinkhole, about 10 meters wide and 5 meters deep, first appeared at a road intersection on Tuesday morning. It is believed to have been caused by a burst underground sewage pipe. Officials stated that a new sinkhole appeared on Thursday as wastewater from the damaged pipe flooded into the existing one. Video footage showed a utility pole and a restaurant sign collapsing into the sinkhole. Subsequently, the road further collapsed, merging the two sinkholes into one giant 20-meter-wide crater, complicating rescue operations further.

The massive sinkhole also contains a natural gas pipeline, raising concerns about potential leaks. Officials have issued evacuation orders for 200 households in the surrounding area and urged residents in the city and neighboring areas to reduce their water consumption. Sinkholes are becoming increasingly common in Japanese cities as many have aging sewage pipe infrastructure. In 2016, a massive sinkhole in Fukuoka swallowed a five-lane street, causing power, water, and traffic disruptions, but no serious casualties. Last August, in downtown Kuala Lumpur, a woman disappeared into a sidewalk sinkhole, and the search was called off a week later. Authorities deemed it "too risky" to continue sending divers into the underground sewage network due to fast-moving water and hard debris.