A truck driver’s body has finally been recovered after being trapped in a sinkhole for more than three months.
The 74-year-old man fell into the 16 metre deep sinkhole after it opened up in the city of Yashio during morning rush hour on January 28.
But the search operation was hindered by unstable ground, with fears the chasm will collapse even further.
A family member said in a statement to Japanese media: ‘Until the very end of his life, my father, who had a strong heart, must have been hoping to come home alive – fighting fear and pain – which makes me feel a tightening in my heart.
‘I can’t believe or accept the fact that my father, who was loved by everyone, suddenly disappeared.’
The hole has since grown to at least 40 metres across, equivalent to an Olympic swimming pool.
The local fire department said: ‘We discovered a man inside the truck cabin and confirmed his death, then passed the incident to police.’
The sinkhole was caused by corroded sewage pipes.
A slope later allowed rescuers to send heavy equipment down, while rescuers asked 1.2 million residents to cut down on showers and laundry to prevent more leaking sewage.
The number of sinkholes in Japan is rising, topping 10,000 in fiscal 2022. Many of these are sewerage-related in urban areas, a land ministry probe shows.
In 2016 a giant sinkhole around 30 meters wide and 15 meters deep appeared on a busy street in Fukuoka city, triggered by nearby subway construction.
No one was hurt and the street reopened a week after workers toiled around the clock.
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