Enormous sinkhole swallows Japanese intersection
A giant sinkhole spontaneously appeared in Fukuoka, Japan, Tuesday morning, swallowing a busy intersection in a pit that grew to half the size of an Olympic swimming pool. No injuries or deaths were reported.
博多駅前やばいですよ pic.twitter.com/tq9dmAGsPG
— うちんちびんぼう (@utintibinbou) November 7, 2016
The sinkhole, which now measures about 85 feet square and 45 feet deep, is believed to have been caused by nearby subway construction. Still, local authorities said, it shouldn't have happened. "An accident like this is unheard of," said Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima. "We must prevent secondary accidents, and will do our utmost to restore important infrastructure."
Nearby residents have been evacuated in case the hole, now filling with seeping sewage water, gets bigger.