On Tuesday, a street in southern Japan fell prety to an enormous sinkhole. The incident caused water, power, and gas to be cut off from parts of Fukuoka, Japan. CNN reported the sinkhole originally started off as two smaller ones, ranging from seven to eight meters, but it began to grow in size. The final reports said it is now a staggering 27 meters wide, 30 meters long, and 15 meters deep.
Fukuoka is a bustling city in the southern part of the country with a population of more than 1.5 million people. Fortunately, the Los Angeles Times reports that no one in the area of the sinkhole suffered any major injuries. As a precaution, authorities evacuated people from the surrounding buildings in the event that the sinkhole begins to grow. Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima said they are working swiftly to repair the damage caused by the sinkhole and are taking precautions to make sure everyone is safe:
“An accident like this is unheard of, one that should not have happened. We must prevent secondary accidents, and will do our utmost to restore important infrastructure.”
CNN reported the sinkhole may have been caused by underground construction work, and as of now, 170 households are reported to be without power. This is also not the first time the city has suffered the effects of a sinkhole, as a similar one also occurred in 2014.
(Via CNN & The Los Angeles Times)