Photo: STR / AFP / Getty Images
A dramatic rescue operation is underway in Yashio City, northeast of Tokyo, where a 74-year-old driver remains trapped in a sinkhole that swallowed his truck on Tuesday (January 28). The sinkhole, around 30 feet wide and 15 feet deep, has doubled in size, complicating rescue efforts. The driver was initially conscious and communicating with rescuers but has been unresponsive since Tuesday afternoon, according to Yashio Fire Department official Yoshifumi Hashiguchi.
The sinkhole is believed to have been caused by corrosion in a sewage pipe, possibly due to strong acid, which created a hole in the pipe and led to the collapse of the soil above it. The last inspection of the pipe, conducted every five years, revealed no issues. The unstable ground has hindered rescue attempts, with cranes only able to recover the truck's loading platform, leaving the cabin and driver trapped. Efforts to dig out the driver and remove sediment have been unsuccessful, and a drone sent into the hole made no progress.
Residents near the sinkhole have taken shelter at a local school, and over one million residents in Saitama prefecture have been asked to conserve water to prevent further flooding. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has ordered a nationwide inspection of sewer systems, highlighting concerns about Japan's aging infrastructure. Once the driver is rescued, experts will inspect the damaged sewage system.
