Emergency workers are struggling to rescue a truck driver swallowed by a sinking more than two days ago in a town north of Tokyo.
The 74 -year -old man had stopped near a junction in Saitama prefecture when the supply suddenly opened down the road, swallowing the truck, according to a witness interview by local media.
The driver was alive shortly after the truck sank into the hole, responding to nearby rescuers, according to the public broadcasting body NHK. However, a few hours later, a mud in the hole caused dirt and ruins to fall into the vehicle, to bury it. Man has not responded to subsequent attempts to get in touch.
Rescue efforts are complicated by the fragility of the soil around the hole. A second hole that appeared near Tuesday merged with the first early Thursday, forming a larger tank. The collapse of the area now extends to about 65 feet in diameter.
An official at the Fire Department said on Thursday that the hole had been deepened and that the front of the truck, where the driver is believed to be trapped, was no longer visible. “The situation is extremely dangerous and we cannot send many rescuers,” he said. “We will try to rescue him as soon as possible.”
Firefighters are considering the use of heavy machinery to clean the dirt and debris to access the trapped driver. On Wednesday, a large crane was able to lift part of the truck’s cargo on the surface, but the driver was not found in this part of the vehicle.
Local authorities reported that the collapse was caused by an explosion drainage pipe under the road carrying the sewage to a nearby treatment facility. Damage to the pipeline caused the county to issue a directive for 1.2 million inhabitants in the area to avoid the use of water.
The usual inspections of the drainage system below the road, which took place every five years, showed no urgent need for repairs, according to an employee at Saitama. In the most recent inspection, which was held in the financial year 2021, some erosion was identified, but was not considered an urgent issue, he said.
Responding to the incident, the Ministry of Earth, the infrastructure, transportation and tourism of Japan said it requested emergency inspections of similar infrastructure, especially those associated with large -scale wastewater treatment plants.
