Japan asks 1.2 million people to refrain from bathing to save driver from 'death pit'

Tokyo [Japan], January 31: The sinkhole suddenly appeared in the city of Yashio in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, during the morning rush hour on January 28, swallowing the truck, according to AFP. Rescue efforts were severely hampered by unstable ground around the sinkhole and the appearance of a second, larger sinkhole.
The original sinkhole, estimated to be about 10 metres wide and 6 metres deep, merged with another. "At around 2:30 a.m. (30 January), the two holes became one and with the risk of landslides or road collapses, we cannot use heavy machinery," a Saitama fire department official told AFP.
Since 1 p.m. on January 28, authorities have had no contact with the 74-year-old truck driver, while rescuers have worked around the clock to reach him.
"Saving lives is a priority, so we ask people not to use unnecessary water such as bathing or washing clothes. "Using the toilet is difficult to restrain, but we ask to use as little water as possible," AFP quoted a Saitama prefecture official as saying today, January 30.
In a statement sent to some 1.2 million residents, Saitama officials asked them to "please continue to refrain from discharging wastewater as contaminated water may overflow." The statement also said that "due to the difficulty of rescue work, it may take time to restore" the wastewater system.
Authorities on January 29 collected some of the wastewater in the area and discharged it into a nearby river.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper