Hundreds of residents have been forced to evacuate their homes near Tokyo as a massive sinkhole continues to grow, swallowing a truck and its elderly driver, hindering rescue efforts now in their fourth day, CNN reports.
The sinkhole, located at a road intersection in Saitama prefecture, about 18 miles north of Japan’s capital, initially opened on Tuesday, engulfing a three-ton truck and its 74-year-old driver.
The chasm has since expanded dramatically, reaching over 40 meters wide – four times its original size – according to local officials. Rescuers are battling against the unstable conditions, utilizing cranes to lift portions of the truck and sending drones underground in a desperate bid to reach the trapped driver. However, no communication has been established since Tuesday.
Authorities suspect that corroded sewer pipes are the root cause of the collapse. Leaking wastewater is believed to have further eroded the surrounding soil, contributing to the rapid expansion of the sinkhole. In response, local officials have asked 200 households to evacuate the area since Tuesday and have also urged 1.2 million residents to refrain from bathing and doing laundry to minimize wastewater flow.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has ordered emergency inspections of similar sewer pipes across Saitama and six other prefectures, home to approximately 39 million people. This action is prompted by concerns about the aging infrastructure, much of which was built during Japan’s post-World War II economic boom in the 1960s and 1970s. The sewer system involved in this incident is approximately 42 years old.
Sinkholes are a natural phenomenon often associated with areas underlain by soluble rocks like limestone. While Japan is not typically known for such geology, the deteriorated state of aging infrastructure appears to be a significant factor in this case.
