Giant pipe rising out of ground in Osaka cut off; cause still under investigation
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The pipe was confirmed to have risen to the surface on March 11. As the pipe protruded as high as 13m out of the ground, the city government weighed it down by filling it with water.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE OSAKA CITY GOVERNMENT
OSAKA – The Osaka city government on March 24 cut off the 1.6m section of a giant steel pipe that had protruded from the ground in Kita Ward, Osaka City, and sealed the hole with a steel plate.
Work to bury the 27m-long steel pipe, which is 3.6m in diameter, had been underway since Jan 21.
However, the pipe was confirmed to have risen to the surface on March 11. As the pipe protruded as high as 13m out of the ground, the city government weighed it down by filling it with water.
The burial of the pipe is part of a project to install a new sewer pipe about 30m underground and connect it to the existing sewer system as a measure against flooding during heavy rains. The city plans to continue the work using this pipe.
The city government intends to set up a task force soon to investigate the cause of the protrusion and develop measures to prevent a recurrence.
“It is important to not allow this to happen again,” Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama told reporters. “We want to conduct a thorough investigation.” THE JAPAN NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
