Driver Trapped in Massive Sinkhole in Japan, Rescue Efforts Ongoing

A massive sinkhole swallowed a truck in Yashio, Japan, on Tuesday, trapping the 74-year-old driver inside. Rescue efforts have been hampered by unstable ground, a second, larger sinkhole, and seeping water.

Authorities have asked 1.2 million people in the area to limit water use to ease pressure on the sewer system, which is believed to have caused the sinkhole. The driver was initially conscious but became unresponsive later that day.

Efforts to rescue the driver have included using cranes to lift his truck, but only the loading platform was recovered. Attempts to remove sediment and dig him out have also been unsuccessful. A drone was deployed to assess whether rescue workers could climb down, but no progress has been made.

The expanded sinkhole also contains a gas pipeline, raising concerns about a potential leak. 200 households have been evacuated as a precaution.

Rescue workers are pumping air into the hole to supply oxygen to the driver. In the past decade, several sinkholes have appeared across Japan, including one in Hiroshima in 2024 caused by a burst underground water pipe and another in Fukuoka in 2016 that swallowed five road lanes.