The body of a truck driver has been found three months after his vehicle fell into a pothole while driving on a road near Tokyo.
In January, a three-ton truck sank underground in the city of Yashio, northeast of the Japanese capital.
During a previous search and rescue operation, workers attempted to lift the truck, but only succeeded in extracting its platform.
The 74-year-old driver, who was trapped in the cabin, was believed to have been swept about 30 metres downstream by the current.
Rescuers wearing hard hats and protective suits entered the site on Friday and recovered the body after three months of preparation to build a safe underground route to access the target site, officials said.
Experts say the sinkhole in Yashio was caused by corroded sewer pipes. Unstable soil and voids underneath have complicated rescue efforts, while locals have been asked to reduce water consumption to minimise sewage flow into the area.
The incident was a wake-up call about the aging infrastructure in Japan, where much of the country's major public infrastructure was built during the rapid economic growth of the 1960s and 1970s.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, there are more than 10,500 sinkholes across Japan, many of which involve sewer systems in urban areas.
Yashio Mayor Shinobu Oyama said in a statement that he prayed for the driver and offered his condolences to his family. He promised to do everything possible to repair the damaged road as soon as possible.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
