Japanese crews shift search for truck driver swallowed by sinkhole to nearby sewer pipe

Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Japanese crews shifted their search for a truck driver who was swallowed by a sinkhole in his vehicle from the site of the sinkhole to an underground sewage pipe.

The Saitama Prefecture government said the man could be in the sewage pipe after the truck's cab was located in the pipe some 650 feet away from the sinkhole two weeks after the truck was initially swallowed.

The sinkhole has since grown to 130 feet wide and 50 feet deep.

The dump truck with the missing man was swallowed up by the sinkhole that fell apart at an intersection in Yashio, near Japan on Jan. 28. Firefighters used heavy machinery to remove rubble and mud inside the large sinkhole.

Workers stopped their search later Sunday over fears that the sinkhole would collapse more after water started flowing into the hole again. Crews are now considering entering sewage pipes through manhole covers to search for the missing truck driver.

Officials said, however, they were concerned about building hydrogen sulfide in the sewer pipes, which may prevent them from operating in the lines safely.