Truck Falls into 10-Meter-Deep Sinkhole at Intersection in Saitama Pref.’s Yashio; Rescue Operations Underway

The Yomiuri Shimbun
A sinkhole is seen on an intersection in Yashio, Saitama Prefecutre, on Tuesday.

A truck fell into a sinkhole about 5 meters in diameter and 10 meters deep at an intersection on Tuesday in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, according to a local fire department and police. A man is believed to have been driving the truck, and firefighters and others are currently conducting rescue operations.

A male witness made an emergency call to authorities at around 9:50 a.m. on the day, saying, “The road caved in and a vehicle like a dump truck fell into it.”

The road, which is about 1.5 kilometers north of Tsukuba Express Yashio Station, is lined with restaurants and other businesses.