Man stuck in sinkhole for days, now 1.2 million people asked not to shower

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE IN JAPAN ARE BEING TOLD TO AVOID TAKING SHOWERS OR DOING LAUNDRY AS RESCUERS TRY TO REACH A MAN WHO HAS BEEN STUCK IN A MASSIVE SINKHOLE FOR DAYS.

THE 74-YEAR-OLD AND HIS TWO-TON TRUCK WERE SWALLOWED UP BY THE SINKHOLE TUESDAY MORNING.

THE HOLE HAS NOW REPORTEDLY GROWN TO ABOUT THE LENGTH OF AN OLYMPIC SWIMMING POOL AND IS SOME 30 FEET DEEP.

THE DRIVER SPOKE TO RESCUERS SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING TRAPPED BUT AUTHORITIES SAY THEY HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM SINCE THEN.

RESCUERS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DIG OUT THE DRIVER AND FLEW A DRONE INTO THE SINKHOLE TO SEE IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO CLIMB DOWN.

THEY EVEN TRIED TO LIFT THE TRUCK WITH CRANES BUT COULD ONLY PULL OUT THE LOADING PLATFORM, LEAVING BEHIND THE CAB, WHERE THE DRIVER IS BELIEVED TO BE STUCK.

AUTHORITIES SUSPECT THE GROWING SINKHOLE IS THE RESULT OF CORRODED SEWAGE LINES WITH PUNCTURES IN THE PIPES LEAKING WATER INTO SOIL, CREATING UNSTABLE GROUND UNDER THE CONCRETE.

OFFICIALS HAVE NOT VENTURED INTO THE HOLE OVER FEARS OF FALLING DEBRIS AND ARE WAITING UNTIL THEY CAN STABILIZE THE SURROUNDING AREA.

THERE ARE EFFORTS TO BUILD A NEARLY 100 FOOT SLOPE TO REACH THE MAN BUT AUTHORITIES WARN IT MAY TAKE DAYS TO CONSTRUCT.

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE CALLED ON ONE-POINT-TWO MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS A DOZEN TOWNS AND CITIES IN THE AREA TO HOLD OFF ON BATHING AND DOING LAUNDRY TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF LEAKING WASTEWATER AND SEWAGE IN THE HOLE, COMPROMISING RESCUE OPERATIONS.

OFFICIALS ALSO SAY THE SINKHOLE CONTAINS A GAS PIPELINE AND ORDERED THE EVACUATION OF 200 HOMES IN THE AREA BECAUSE OF THAT.

SINKHOLES HAVE BEEN POPPING UP MORE FREQUENTLY IN JAPAN AS THE COUNTRY’S AGING SEWAGE PIPELINES FALL INTO DISREPAIR.

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