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Japan Sasago tunnel collapse 'traps cars' | Japan Sasago tunnel collapse 'traps cars' |
(35 minutes later) | |
A road tunnel has collapsed in Japan, trapping a number of vehicles, Japanese media reports say. | A road tunnel has collapsed in Japan, trapping a number of vehicles, Japanese media reports say. |
The incident happened at about 08:00 local time (23:00 GMT Saturday) in the Sasago tunnel, about 80km (50 miles) west of the capital Tokyo. | The incident happened at about 08:00 local time (23:00 GMT Saturday) in the Sasago tunnel, about 80km (50 miles) west of the capital Tokyo. |
Public broadcaster NHK quoted its reporter as saying that black smoke was coming out of the tunnel and there appeared to be a fire inside. | Public broadcaster NHK quoted its reporter as saying that black smoke was coming out of the tunnel and there appeared to be a fire inside. |
Seven people were feared trapped in the tunnel, later reports said. | |
'Frightened' | 'Frightened' |
Pictures from closed circuit TV cameras inside the tunnel showed a section of the tunnel of up to 30m (100ft) that had caved in on the Tokyo-bound lanes on the Chuo Expressway in Yamanashi prefecture. | |
"We don't know exactly how many vehicles are on fire," a traffic police official told the AFP news agency. | "We don't know exactly how many vehicles are on fire," a traffic police official told the AFP news agency. |
The official added that a woman was taken to hospital after she had made her way out of the tunnel. | The official added that a woman was taken to hospital after she had made her way out of the tunnel. |
The woman said she was with five other people in a van, but added: "I have no idea about what happened to the five others. I don't know how many vehicles were ahead and behind ours." | The woman said she was with five other people in a van, but added: "I have no idea about what happened to the five others. I don't know how many vehicles were ahead and behind ours." |
A reporter for NHK described driving through the tunnel as it began to collapse, seeing other cars trapped and on fire. His car was badly damaged, he said. | |
Another survivor told the broadcaster that he saw "a concrete part of the ceiling fall off all of a sudden when I was driving inside. I saw a fire coming from a crushed car". | |
He added that he was "frightened" and walked for an hour to get out of the tunnel. | He added that he was "frightened" and walked for an hour to get out of the tunnel. |
The Sasago tunnel is an estimated 4.3km-long (2.7 miles). The twin-bore tunnel is on one of the major highways out of Tokyo, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield Hayes in Japan reports. | The Sasago tunnel is an estimated 4.3km-long (2.7 miles). The twin-bore tunnel is on one of the major highways out of Tokyo, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield Hayes in Japan reports. |
The road has had to be closed because of the seriousness of the accident, our correspondent adds. | The road has had to be closed because of the seriousness of the accident, our correspondent adds. |
Firefighters are still trying to extinguish the blaze. | Firefighters are still trying to extinguish the blaze. |
Are you in Japan? Did you witness the tunnel collapse? Please tell us your story using the form below. | Are you in Japan? Did you witness the tunnel collapse? Please tell us your story using the form below. |