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| Japan: Rescuers race to pull out truck driver stuck in sinkhole for three days | |
| (12 days later) | |
| Watch: Rescuers work to free truck driver trapped inside sinkhole near Tokyo | Watch: Rescuers work to free truck driver trapped inside sinkhole near Tokyo |
| Rescue workers in Japan are trying to pull out a truck driver from a sinkhole that appeared on Tuesday and has since widened. | Rescue workers in Japan are trying to pull out a truck driver from a sinkhole that appeared on Tuesday and has since widened. |
| The sinkhole appeared in Yashio city in Saitama prefecture, near the capital Tokyo, swallowing a truck. | The sinkhole appeared in Yashio city in Saitama prefecture, near the capital Tokyo, swallowing a truck. |
| Rescue efforts have been hampered by road collapses, and officials have ordered scores of households in the area to evacuate their homes. | Rescue efforts have been hampered by road collapses, and officials have ordered scores of households in the area to evacuate their homes. |
| The 74-year-old driver was last heard responding to rescuers on Tuesday afternoon, according to local media. | The 74-year-old driver was last heard responding to rescuers on Tuesday afternoon, according to local media. |
| While emergency crews managed to remove the truck bed from the pool-sized sinkhole, the driver's cabin remains buried under soil and debris. | While emergency crews managed to remove the truck bed from the pool-sized sinkhole, the driver's cabin remains buried under soil and debris. |
| The hole measuring about 10m (33ft) wide and 5m deep first appeared on Tuesday morning at a road junction. | The hole measuring about 10m (33ft) wide and 5m deep first appeared on Tuesday morning at a road junction. |
| It is believed to have been caused by an underground sewage pipe rupturing. | It is believed to have been caused by an underground sewage pipe rupturing. |
| Officials said that as waste water from the damaged pipe flooded the hole, it caused a second sinkhole to appear on Thursday. | Officials said that as waste water from the damaged pipe flooded the hole, it caused a second sinkhole to appear on Thursday. |
| Video footage showed a utility pole and a restaurant signboard falling in that collapse. | Video footage showed a utility pole and a restaurant signboard falling in that collapse. |
| The road then collapsed further, merging the two sinkholes together to become a 20m-wide crater, further complicating the rescue operation. | The road then collapsed further, merging the two sinkholes together to become a 20m-wide crater, further complicating the rescue operation. |
| The massive sinkhole also contains a gas pipeline, prompting fears of a potential leak. Officials have issued evacuation orders for 200 households in the surrounding area. | The massive sinkhole also contains a gas pipeline, prompting fears of a potential leak. Officials have issued evacuation orders for 200 households in the surrounding area. |
| They have also urged residents in and around the city to use less water. | They have also urged residents in and around the city to use less water. |
| The sinkhole, seen here on Wednesday, has since doubled in size | The sinkhole, seen here on Wednesday, has since doubled in size |
| Sinkholes are increasingly common in Japanese cities, as many have ageing sewage pipeline infrastructure. | Sinkholes are increasingly common in Japanese cities, as many have ageing sewage pipeline infrastructure. |
| In 2016, a giant sinkhole in Fukuoka swallowed a five-lane street in Fukuoka, disrupting power, water and transport. No serious injuries were reported. | In 2016, a giant sinkhole in Fukuoka swallowed a five-lane street in Fukuoka, disrupting power, water and transport. No serious injuries were reported. |
| Last August, a search for a woman who disappeared into a pavement sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur's city centre was called off after a week. | Last August, a search for a woman who disappeared into a pavement sinkhole in Kuala Lumpur's city centre was called off after a week. |
| Authorities deemed it "too risky" to continue deploying divers into the underground sewer network, which had strong currents and hard debris. | Authorities deemed it "too risky" to continue deploying divers into the underground sewer network, which had strong currents and hard debris. |