Hundreds of residents in Saitama prefecture, near Tokyo, have been evacuated after a giant sinkhole opened up in the middle of the road at an intersection and expanded to a diameter of up to 40 meters.
The initial sinkhole, which swallowed a three-ton truck along with its 74-year-old driver, has now reached a diameter four times larger than it was when it first appeared, local authorities announced Friday, writes A2 CNN.
Rescue teams have used cranes to partially lift the truck and sent drones underground, but have been unable to communicate with the driver since the day of the accident.
Authorities suspect the cause of the collapse was the rupture of old sewage pipes. Leaking sewage may have eroded the surrounding soil, further widening the sinkhole, officials said.
To prevent the situation from worsening, around 200 families have been evacuated, while over 1.2 million residents have been advised to limit their water use.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of Japan's aging infrastructure. Experts warn that sewer networks, built mostly in the 1960s and 1970s, are deteriorating over time, increasing the risk of similar collapses, A2 CNN writes.
Meanwhile, the rescue operation remains difficult. Due to the unstable terrain, the use of heavy machinery is dangerous, as it could cause further collapse. Emergency teams are building a ramp to enable rescue equipment to approach from a safer angle.
Authorities have launched emergency inspections in Saitama and six other prefectures to assess the risk of the sewage network, taking measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. (A2 Televizion)
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