A recent report has revealed 72km of underground pipes in urgent need of repair, but costs will complicate the daunting task, analysts say
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism ordered the investigation after the deadly accident in the city of Yashio, in Saitama prefecture, on January 28. Security cameras caught the moment a huge sinkhole opened in the middle of a busy intersection, swallowing roadway, pylons and a passing delivery truck.
The disaster gripped the nation over the following days, during which the sinkhole widened to 40 metres in diameter and rescuers frantically attempted to reach the missing vehicle and its driver. After one week, the rescue effort shifted to a recovery mission, although it was not until May 2 that the body of the 74-year-old driver was finally recovered.
The investigation’s findings were announced on Wednesday during a meeting of experts tasked with devising measures to stop similar accidents in the future, although an analyst has told This Week in Asia that the scale of the task is daunting as the nation’s critical infrastructure has been overlooked for too long.
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