Locals urged to evacuate after another massive sinkhole appears
A new massive sinkhole appeared on January 29, prompting officials to call on locals to evacuate as rescue efforts for a driver of a 2-ton-truck that fell into a sinkhole on January 28 continued.
Locals were urged to evacuate due to the risk of gas leakage after the new sinkhole appeared on January 29. People have been restricted from entering a 200-meter radius of the site.
Rescue efforts for the driver of a 2-ton-truck that fell into the 5-meter-wide, 10-meter-deep sinkhole that formed on January 28 continued 24 hours after officials received the report of the truck falling.
The back of the truck was pulled up before dawn on the 29th without the part that has the driver's seat.
Asaka Keisuke, NTV Reporter / There was a huge sound just now. It's collapsing. The pole collapsed making a huge sound. It's a sign of a store, perhaps a sign of a restaurant nearby. The pole with the sign collapsed.
The pole fell into a new sinkhole that appeared during the retrieval process.
Officials believe that broken sewage pipes are pushing sediment underground, creating the sinkholes.
At least 10,000 sinkholes are reported every year according to the Japanese Transport Ministry.
Sewage systems that are buried underground are the most common cause of such sinkholes that form in urban areas.
According to an expert, most of the water and sewer pipes in Japan were built after World War Two, about 60 years ago.
Water and sewer pipes become more susceptible to damage every year after 20 to 30 years.
Therefore, the expert said that the number of sinkholes is likely to increase in the future.
The Saitama Prefectural Government said that if the amount of sewage increases, the sinkholes could widen and lead to prolonged damage.
Around 1.2 million residents living in affected areas of Saitama Prefecture have been asked to refrain from using the laundry machine or shower to minimize the impact.