Minivan and Police Car Fall Victim to Same Sinkhole Amid Heavy Rain in Western Japan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:48 JST, September 12, 2023

A driver of a minivan in Minami-Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture, called the police around 8:35 a.m. on Monday, saying, “My car has fallen into a sinkhole full of water.”

The road in question was flooded by heavy rain at the time. The driver was luckily able to escape unharmed through a window before his car was completely submerged.

Soon after, a police patrol car from Minami-Awaji station rushed to the scene and promptly fell into the same sinkhole. The police officer on board was also able to escape safely.

According to the police, the sinkhole is 5 meters long, 4 meters wide with a depth of around 3.5 to 4 meters. The drivers did not notice the sinkhole because it was covered with floodwater.

Hyogo prefectural government has closed off the section of road around the sinkhole and is considering how to repair it.