Rescue Continues for Truck Driver Trapped in Saitama Pref. Sinkhole; 200 Nearby Households Issued Evacuation Advisory (UPDATE 1)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:54 JST, January 29, 2025 (updated at 17:25 JST)

YASHIO, Saitama — A rescue operation is still ongoing a day after a truck and its driver fell into a sinkhole on Tuesday. Meanwhile, roughly 200 households near the cave-in were advised to evacuate due to fears of damaged gas pipes following the formation of another sinkhole in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture.

The back of the truck was pulled out early Wednesday morning.

However, a new sinkhole formed nearby and possibly caused damage to underground gas pipes. The Yashio municipal government and other authorities issued an evacuation advisory to about 200 households within a 200-meter-radius.

The first sinkhole occurred at around 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday. The hole, about 10 meters in diameter and 10 meters deep, appeared near the middle of an intersection on a prefectural road, and a truck that was driving through fell into it. The driver was able to converse with rescuers during the first several hours, but a mudslide occurred near the cab of the truck, forcing rescuers to stay away.

At about 1 a.m. Wednesday, the back of the truck was lifted by a crane in an operation by police and firefighters, but the driver’s cab remained in the hole. Due to water, likely sewage and groundwater, started flowing into the hole, the rescue is taking place simultaneously along with a water discharge operation.

The new sinkhole occurred shortly after 1 a.m. on Wednesday. According to the fire brigade, the hole is about 10 meters long and about 7 meters wide. Although the depth is not known yet, it is apparently connected to the first hole that the truck fell into.

Since a gas leak may occur if underground gas pipes are damaged, the city and other authorities called for residents in the nearby areas to evacuate.

Anxious residents

Many residents spent the night at the nearby Yashio municipal government office or other places.

“I never thought [the sinkhole] would become such a serious incident. I’d like to put priority on protecting my life,” said a 20-year-old male university student who lives nearby.

A 20-year-old company employe looked troubled and said: “It’s worrying to think another sinkhole may form near my house. I may not be able to go home for a while.”

According to the prefecture, it is believed that mud and dirt got into a sewage pipe that had somehow been damaged and created an underground cavity, which created the sinkhole.

It is highly likely that the sewage pipe is blocked and there are fears that sewage may gush out if water continues to flow toward the potentially damaged area of the pipe under the sinkhole. In response, the Saitama prefectural government called on about 1.2 million people in nine cities, including part of Saitama, and three towns in the prefecture to refrain from using the washing machine or taking a bath.

The prefecture held a meeting to deal with the emergency on Wednesday morning and decided to demand factories and other facilities that use a large amount of water to restrain their water usage.

“I fear the effect may be prolonged. We are asking companies and facilities to cooperate with us as much as possible,” Saitama Gov. Motohiro Ono said after the meeting.

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