Truck Found in Sewer Pipe Weeks After Falling into Japanese Sinkhole
A truck cabin that was swallowed by a massive sinkhole in Japan two weeks ago has been discovered inside a nearby sewer pipe, officials confirmed.
Drone footage suggests that a human body is inside the cabin, but authorities have yet to confirm if it belongs to the missing 74-year-old driver.
The sinkhole, which now spans 40 meters (131 feet) in diameter, first appeared at a road intersection in Yashio City, near Tokyo. Officials believe the collapse was triggered by a sewer rupture.
Rescue teams have been unable to enter the five-meter-wide sewer pipe due to ongoing water flow and high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, a hazardous sewer gas. To safely access the truck, engineers must install a temporary bypass pipe to divert the water. This process is expected to take up to three months, according to Saitama Governor Motohiro Ono.
Although emergency responders were able to recover the truck’s loading platform from the sinkhole, they could not retrieve the cabin where the driver was last seen. Initially, the driver managed to communicate with rescuers after the accident on January 28. However, contact was lost as the truck was buried under layers of soil and debris.
On Sunday, the search shifted from the sinkhole to the adjacent sewer system, where authorities discovered a portion of the driver’s seat.
The sinkhole, which originally measured 10 meters wide and 5 meters deep, has since expanded significantly after merging with another nearby sinkhole. As the crater continues to widen, officials have urged local residents to evacuate their homes due to the risk of further collapses.
Additionally, authorities have asked 1.2 million residents in Saitama Prefecture to reduce their water usage—including limiting showers and laundry—to help minimize the strain on underground pipelines.
Ongoing erosion and repeated road collapses have hindered search efforts, forcing authorities to suspend operations multiple times for safety reasons.
Sinkholes have become increasingly common in Japanese cities due to aging sewage infrastructure. Officials estimate that repairing the damaged sewer system could take two to three years.
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