Large sinkhole swallows truck, traps driver in Saitama Prefecture, Japan

A large sinkhole opened up at an intersection in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, swallowing a passing truck and trapping its driver inside.

A sinkhole approximately 10 meters (33 feet) wide and more than 5 meters (16 feet) deep opened at an intersection in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, on Tuesday morning, swallowing a truck and trapping its driver.

Police received an emergency call at approximately 09:50 local time (LT) after the sinkhole appeared at the intersection, located about 1.5 km (1 mile) north of Tsukuba Express Yashio Station.

“The road caved in, and a vehicle, possibly a dump truck, fell into it,” said a local witness who contacted the authorities.

The man is conscious and capable of talking, according to fire authorities. However, two emergency responders sustained minor injuries when sediment collapsed on them while they were using heavy machinery to aid the rescue. Rescue teams are using air pumps to supply oxygen into the sinkhole while working to remove debris but the presence of sand and mud is complicating the operation and has partially filled the truck’s cabin.

Preliminary assessments suggest the cause of the sinkhole is a crack in the Nakagawa River Basin sewer pipe that led to the weakening of the surrounding soil.

References:

¹ Truck Falls into 10-Meter-Deep Sinkhole at Intersection in Saitama Pref.’s Yashio; Rescue Operations Underway – The Japan News – January 28, 2025