The body of a truck driver has been found three months after his vehicle fell into a sinkhole while driving on a road near Tokyo.
In January, a three-ton truck sank into a hole in the city of Yashio, northeast of the Japanese capital.
During a previous search and rescue operation, workers tried to lift the truck, but only managed to extract its platform.
The 74-year-old driver, who was trapped in the cabin, was believed to have been swept about 30 metres downstream.
Rescuers wearing hard hats and protective clothing entered the area and removed the body on Friday after three months of preparation to build a safe underground route for workers to reach the site, officials said.
Experts say the sinkhole in Yashio was caused by corroded sewer pipes. Unstable soil and voids underneath complicated rescue efforts, while residents were advised to reduce their water consumption to minimise sewage entering the area.
The incident was a worrying sign for Japan's aging infrastructure, where much of its key 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 them linked to sewer systems in urban areas.
Yashio Mayor Shinobu Oyama said in a statement that he prayed for the driver and offered condolences to his family. He promised to do everything possible to repair the damaged road as soon as possible.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
