Body thought to be missing driver in Saitama sinkhole incident found
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Firefighters and police plan to enter the sewer pipe in Saitama Prefecture to begin full-scale recovery operations.
PHOTO: AFP
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YASHIO, Saitama - What appears to be a human body has been found inside the cabin of a truck swallowed by a massive sinkhole that opened at an intersection in Yashio, north of Tokyo, in January, the local authorities said on May 1, adding that they believe it is the missing male driver.
Firefighters and police plan to enter the sewer pipe in Saitama Prefecture, where the cabin is located, as early as May 2 to begin full-scale recovery operations.
A figure resembling a human body was visually confirmed early on May 1 during the first entry into the pipe since the incident, conducted to assess water flow and hydrogen sulfide gas levels.
Based on their findings, the prefectural government determined that the risk of further disaster inside the sewer pipe was low enough to proceed with entry.
The sinkhole, which opened on Jan 28, swallowed the truck of a driver in his 70s and eventually expanded to about 40m wide and 15m deep. The truck’s cabin was swept roughly 30m downstream, according to the prefectural government.
The search was suspended on Feb 9 due to the risk of further collapse, with priority given to stabilising the sewer. On April 24, the prefecture completed bypass work to divert a large volume of sewage water.
The authorities plan to use a sloped access route built from the sinkhole to the sewer pipe to reach the truck cabin. A separate vertical shaft has been prepared to lift the cabin using heavy machinery. KYODO NEWS
