30-metre deep sinkhole triggers blackouts in Japan
A five-lane road has caved in near a major railway station in southern Japan, forcing authorities to block off nearby areas.
The massive sinkhole opened up in the south-western city of Fukuoka at 5.15am local time on Tuesday, and kept growing.
Near Hakata Station, the biggest station on the southern island of Kyushu, the main road caved in, causing a hole 27 metres wide and 30 metres long.
By mid-morning, water from broken pipelines flooded into the 20-metre deep cavity.
It caused widespread disruptions to local electricity, water and gas supplies, and also disrupted traffic near the site broadcaster NHK reported.
The sinkhole prompted Japanese authorities to evacuate nearby buildings as a safety precaution.
Local authorities suspected the cause was linked to ongoing construction work for an underground rail system.
No injuries were reported.
A local worker told Kyodo's news agency: “The electricity went off suddenly and I head a loud boom.
“I went outside and saw a huge hole.”
Another witness worker said: “The road has collapsed near my office and now I can’t go to work because we’ve been told to evacuate.”