Look, I understand that sinkholes are scary, but they happen. Sometimes, homes, trucks, and even buses suddenly get swallowed up. Workers in Japan have been trying to rescue a man from his truck in a massive sinkhole for days. 

Japan is still trying to rescue a man from his truck in a sinkhole 

A massive truck fell into a sinkhole in Japan on January 30, 2025. Workers and rescue teams are desperate to save a 74-year-old truck driver who is still trapped in his flatbed. 

When the sinkhole formed in Yashio City, northeast of Tokyo on Thursday morning, a three-ton truck fell into it. The hole started out as being about 33-feet wide and 16-feet deep, but has since doubled in size. 

According to MSN, the 74-year-old man was conscious and communicating with rescue drivers, but hasn’t responded to them since Thursday afternoon. 

Unfortunately, the ground is unsteady with a hollow space below it, making it difficult to rescue the truck driver. The sinkhole has been growing as asphalt and billboards collapse into it. 

Police officers and other rescue workers used cranes to try and lift the truck out. However, they only recovered the loading platform. The cab, where the driver is believed to be trapped is still meters below the surface. 

Officials also tried to remove sediment to dig the driver out without success. They used a drone to see if rescue workers could climb into the hole, but no progress has been made. 

Authorities believe that the hole was caused by a sewer system. Strong acid constantly passes through the system and may have created a hole in a pope, causing the soil to fall. 

This may have created a large empty space under the road. Once the driver is rescued, experts will enter the hole and inspect the sewage system.