Local Authorities Rush to Stop Water Inflow at Saitama Pref. Cave-In Site; Ramp Under Construction to Let Heavy Machinery Enter Hole

YASHIO, Saitama — Local authorities on Friday worked rapidly to prevent water from flowing into the hole created by a road collapse in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture. Efforts to rescue a male driver in his 70s who fell along with his truck into a hole made by the collapse, have encountered difficulties.The hole, which had a diameter of 10 meters immediately after the first cave-in, has since expanded to as much as 40 meters across due to successive collapses of the surrounding ground. It is believed that these further collapses were caused by rainwater and other water flowing into the hole.The construction of a ramp to allow heavy machinery to enter the hole also began on Thursday afternoon. The authorities plan to complete the ramp by the end of the day on Friday and to reinforce the ground before allowing the machinery to enter the hole.