Overview

• A 40-meter-wide sinkhole in Yashio, near Tokyo, swallowed a truck on January 28, with drone images showing a human-like figure inside the truck cabin lodged in a sewer pipe.
• Rescue operations have been hindered by high water flow, hydrogen sulfide gas, and unstable ground conditions, forcing authorities to suspend direct recovery efforts.
• Officials estimate it will take three months to construct a bypass pipe to divert sewage flow, allowing safer access to the truck cabin for recovery teams.
• The sinkhole, initially 10 meters wide, merged with another nearby sinkhole and has quadrupled in size, prompting evacuations for residents within a 50-meter radius.
• Sinkholes in Japan are frequently linked to sewer pipe collapses, with over 10,000 reported in 2022; the Yashio sinkhole is one of the largest in recent years.