Huge sinkhole in Japanese road repaired in a week
By Mike Hayes16 November 2016
A busy street in Japan has been repaired and reopened just one week after collapsing into a huge sinkhole.
The sinkhole that opened up beneath five-lane road in Fukuoka, in the south of the country, was approximately 30 m wide and 15 m deep.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, November 8, and caused disruption to electricity, gas and water services.
A large number of construction workers were quickly on the scene, with earthmoving equipment, and worked simultaneously on filling the hole and repairing the damaged utilities.
It is reported that the majority of repair work was completed within 48 hours and the road was reopened on Tuesday, November 15.
Fukuoka mayor Soichiro Takashima released a statement apologising for the "great trouble" the sinkhole had caused.
He said the causes of the incident wold be thoroughly investigated and compensation would be offered to those adversely affected by the incident.
