Yahoo Lifestyle Truck Driver, 74, Was Swallowed by a Giant Sinkhole in Japan. 4 Days Later, Rescue Teams Are Still Trying to Reach His Vehicle
The man reportedly became trapped inside his truck when it fell into a sinkhole on Tuesday, Jan. 28
The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images
An aerial photo shows sinkholes at an intersection in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo on Jan. 31, 2025A 74-year-old man is still waiting to be rescued after his truck was swallowed by a giant sinkhole near Tokyo four days ago.
It was previously reported that police received an emergency call just before 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 28, about a sinkhole that opened up at an intersection in Yashio, Saitama. According to The Japan Times, the sinkhole was initially about 5 meters wide and 10 meters deep but has since expanded to approximately 40 meters wide and 15 meters deep.
The outlet states that heavy machinery may be needed to stabilize the site as rescue efforts continue for the man trapped inside the sinkhole.
The elderly man was conscious when he became trapped in the cabin of his flat-bed truck and was communicating with rescue workers but stopped responding on Tuesday afternoon, CNN reported.
"We are doing what we think is best. All we can do is proceed with the operation," a rescuer from a local fire department told Japanese outlet Kyodo News.
According to the outlet, authorities are cautious that the sinkhole may be filling up with river water from a damaged underground rain pipe. It may take another two or three days for them to finish making an almost 30-meter-long ramp for rescuers to use in their search for the man.
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Japanese newspaper The Mainichi states a sinkhole first appeared on Tuesday morning and after merging with a second that formed it has continued to expand.
Saitama prefectural sewer system official Jun Uehara said that the sinkhole may have been caused by corrosion as “strong acid” is constantly passing through the system and could’ve caused a hole in the pipe, per CNN.
However, no issues were found when the pipe was last inspected as required every five years.
Nearby residents have been asked to evacuate the area, with around 20 of them taking shelter at a local high school, according to the outlet.
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