Japan fixes giant 30-metre sinkhole in just two days
- By Web Desk -
- Nov 15, 2016
TOKO: A giant sinkhole appeared in the middle of a busy Japanese city on Nov 8 has been repaired by the authorities after round the clock work to fix it.
The gaping hole, around 30 metres (98 feet) wide, exposed support columns of nearby buildings at a traffic intersection in the southern city of Fukuoka, prompting fears of further collapses.
The sinkhole, apparently triggered by subway construction in the area, had exposed the support columns of nearby buildings at a traffic intersection.
Japanese workers toiled continuously, dumping huge amounts of wet cement and sand into the gaping hole and fixing electricity, gas and water lines that had stopped following the accident.
The hole was fixed within just two days, although it was only reopened for public use after the relevant safety checks were carried out, the Guardian reported.
“We’re very sorry for causing great trouble,” Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima said in a statement said, noting that a ban on access to surrounding buildings was lifted.
Miraculously, no one was hurt in the accident in Fukuoka, the biggest city on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.
Many on social media expressed amazement at the quick recovery.