News On Japan

Footage Shows Moment Truck Falls Into Sinkhole

Saitama, Jan 31 (News On Japan) - A massive sinkhole swallowed a truck in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, on January 28, with dramatic footage capturing the moment the road suddenly gave way.

A dashboard camera recorded the moment the truck, having just turned left at an intersection, plunged into the sinkhole. With no time to react, the vehicle disappeared into the gaping hole.

"At first, I thought I had been rear-ended because of the vibration," one witness recalled. "But when I looked ahead, the truck had already fallen."

More than 86 hours after the collapse, authorities are gradually piecing together the situation. According to the fire department, the damaged sewer pipe beneath the road has a diameter of about four to five meters. There is concern that the truck’s driver may have fallen deep into the cavity.

Initially, emergency responders were able to communicate with the driver, who responded to their calls around 1 p.m. that day. However, his cab was already buried under debris, and his condition was unclear. Hours later, there was no further response.

Efforts to recover the truck continue, with tow trucks removing parts of the vehicle from the scene. However, the driver remains unaccounted for. To facilitate rescue operations, workers are rapidly constructing a slope for safe entry into the crater. Although initial plans aimed to complete the structure by January 31, additional work to remove fallen utility poles and reinforce the ground means heavy machinery may only enter by the evening of February 1.

The sinkhole, which initially started as one hole, expanded into two before merging into a single cavity approximately 40 meters in diameter and 15 meters deep due to further collapses. Inside, workers are trying to prevent water from flowing in by piling up soil. However, continuous water seepage has caused repeated cave-ins, creating an unstable environment.

The disaster has severely impacted local residents. To facilitate rescue operations, Saitama Prefecture has asked residents in 12 municipalities, including Yashio, to limit their use of sewer systems, including reducing laundry and bath usage.

In response to the crisis, a nearby hot spring facility in Misato, adjacent to Yashio, has opened its doors to affected residents, offering free access to its baths.

"We’ve been trying to conserve water as much as possible, using paper plates instead of washing dishes," said Numakura, a resident from a six-member household. "But when it came to bathing, we weren’t sure how to save water—then we heard about this facility and decided to come. It was the first time in a while we could take a relaxing bath."

Sugawara and his family, who spent a night in an evacuation center after the incident, expressed similar gratitude. "We had just returned home, but the anxiety hasn’t gone away," he said. "The bus my child takes to daycare passed through that very spot just an hour before the collapse. The support we’re receiving is incredibly helpful."

In light of the incident, municipalities across Japan have begun urgent inspections of aging sewer infrastructure. In Sakai, Osaka, officials have voluntarily started examining sewer pipes with a diameter of over two meters that have been in place for more than 30 years. In Wakayama City, authorities plan to inspect 29 locations within a week.

Meanwhile, in Yashio, snowfall began early Sunday morning, later turning into cold rain. As temperatures drop, the urgency of rescue efforts continues to grow.

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A deepening labor shortage in Japan’s construction industry is beginning to impact homebuyers, with some experiencing delays of more than six months before construction can even begin due to a lack of available carpenters.

From April 1st, a new regulation took effect across Osaka Prefecture requiring all restaurants with a customer seating area larger than 30 square meters to become entirely smoke-free indoors—unless they install a designated smoking room. Establishments violating the rule face fines of up to 50,000 yen, while customers may be fined up to 30,000 yen.

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

Japan's new fiscal year began on April 1st, with companies across the country holding entrance ceremonies to welcome new employees.

The Japanese government has released an updated damage forecast for a potential Nankai Trough megaquake, estimating that up to 298,000 people could die in the worst-case scenario. This projection reflects a slight reduction from the previous estimate of 332,000 deaths made 13 years ago.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

In response to a sharp rise in women soliciting prostitution on the streets of Osaka's Kita entertainment district, police and local authorities implemented countermeasures last year. But how effective have those measures been?

As Japan marks 80 years since the end of World War II, Angelita Oshiro, an 86-year-old second-generation Japanese woman living in Davao on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, was finally granted the restoration of her long-awaited Japanese citizenship on April 2nd.

Cherry blossoms are now in full bloom. On April 2nd, crowds gathered along the Okawa River in Osaka to enjoy the hanami season. While spring typically lifts spirits, this year’s celebrations come with a pinch.While moods may be rising, so are prices.

A fire broke out on the morning of April 2nd at a farm in Kamishihoro, a town in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, killing approximately 20 cattle housed in a barn.

A special unit dedicated to investigating "lone offenders"—individuals who commit acts of terrorism without belonging to any specific organization—has been established for the first time in Japan within the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

Downtown, the popular comedy duo, has stepped down as official ambassadors for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, according to an announcement by the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition.

A tour bus carrying over 20 foreign tourists collided with a van inside the Tokiwa Tunnel on the Dōō Expressway on March 31st, sending several people to the hospital.