2LT International News

TOKYO, Japan: After nearly three months of complex recovery efforts, the body of a 74-year-old truck driver was found late last week following the collapse of a road that swallowed his vehicle in Yashio City, northeast of Tokyo.

The 3-ton truck plunged into a massive sinkhole in January. During earlier attempts to retrieve it, only the vehicle’s flatbed was recovered, with the driver believed to have been swept roughly 30 meters downstream while still trapped in the cabin.

After extensive underground preparation, including the construction of a safe access route, rescue teams wearing helmets and hazmat suits finally reached the suspected location and recovered the driver’s remains, authorities said.

Experts determined the sinkhole was caused by corrosion in aging sewer pipes beneath the road. The unstable ground and risk of flooding had previously made it too dangerous to proceed with recovery efforts. Residents in the area were asked to reduce water use to limit strain on the sewage system.

The incident has highlighted growing concerns over Japan’s aging infrastructure, much of which dates back to the country’s post-war economic boom in the 1960s and 1970s. According to the Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Ministry, over 10,500 sinkholes have been reported nationwide, many tied to aging sewage systems in urban areas.

Yashio Mayor Shinobu Oyama extended his condolences to the victim’s family and vowed to prioritize reconstruction of the damaged road.