In Japan, a Truck Driver Falls into an Increasing Sinkhole

Authorities in Japan have urged hundreds of residents near Tokyo to evacuate due to a significant expansion of a sinkhole at an intersection, which has grown to over 40 meters in width. This complicates rescue efforts for an elderly truck driver whose vehicle fell into the hole, reports NewsBox.

A section of road at an intersection in Saitama Prefecture, located about 29 kilometers north of Tokyo, collapsed on January 28, swallowing a three-ton truck and its 74-year-old driver. The rescue operation is now in its fourth day, but the widening of the sinkhole is making the efforts more difficult.

A local official told CNN that the sinkhole has quadrupled in size, reaching 40 meters in width. A representative from the Saitama Prefecture's sewage department noted that the inside of the sinkhole is eroding and continues to grow daily.

Rescuers are using cranes to lift parts of the truck and drones to investigate the sinkhole, but since the collapse on Tuesday, they have been unable to establish contact with the driver.

Authorities believe that corroded sewage pipes could have caused the sinkhole. Leakage of wastewater may have led to further erosion of the soil and the expansion of the sinkhole.