Large sinkhole swallows truck near Tokyo, man trapped

A large sinkhole swallowed a truck Tuesday after appearing at an intersection near Tokyo, with local authorities working round the clock to rescue a trapped man believed to be the driver, Kyodo reports. 

Large sinkhole in Tokyo
Photo credit: Kyodo

By early Wednesday, the cargo bed of the truck had been recovered from the opening, which measured 10 meters across and 6 meters in depth, in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, but the fate of the driver remained unknown, according to local fire authorities.

The city office and police urged nearby residents to evacuate as another part of the road above an underground gas pipe had started to cave in near the intersection, making a 3-meter-wide dent. A tall restaurant sign near the sinkhole fell over during the rescue work.

Police said they received an emergency call at around 9:50 a.m. The site is some 1.5 kilometers from Yashio Station of the Tsukuba Express train line.

According to prefectural government officials, the road collapse may have occurred due to a heavily corroded sewerage pipe that runs 10 meters underground.

Surrounding sediment is believed to have flowed into the pipe, creating a hollow space under the road. Unable to withstand the weight as vehicles passed, the road collapsed, the officials said.

The local government suspects that the corrosion was caused by sulfuric acid, which is formed when hydrogen sulfide -- also known as sewer gas because it is often produced by the breakdown of waste material -- is exposed to air.

The volume of water flowing through to a treatment plant from the sewage pipe has decreased compared to levels observed prior to the collapse.

Some witnesses said the road sunk just before the truck passed, according to the police.

Two male rescuers sustained minor injuries after sediment fell on them while they were using heavy machinery to try to reach the trapped man, according to the local authorities.

As earlier reported, at least six people got injuries after crashes involving 19 vehicles near Aksu-Ayuly village, Shetskiy district, Karaganda region.

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