Again? Japan’s Sinkhole Sinks After Being Repaired Within 48 Hours

The Fukuoka street was closed after the quickly-repaired ground began sinking again.

A giant sinkhole that appeared on 8 November in Fukuoka city was repaired and reopened to public on 10 November. (Photo: AP)

On Saturday, a road in Japan’s Fukuoka was closed for a second time in the month after workmen observed that 30 square metres of the road, under repair after a sink hole had wrecked it, had sunk by seven centimetres again.

What was earlier being lauded as a perfect example of efficiency in Japan, is now being questioned.

Parts of a main street had collapsed the Japan’s southern city, creating a huge sinkhole and cutting off power, water and gas supplies. (Photo: AP)

On 15 November, Fukuoka city made headlines after a huge sinkhole that wrecked a part of the street was repaired within 48 hours.

The road, which had a 15 metres deep and 30 metres wide chasm, was open to pedestrians within a weeks time after being reconstructed.

According to reports, the officials were aware that the road would “move” as the filler material, comprising mostly of soil, cement and sand, would compress and take time to settle. But no notice was issued to the public.

(With inputs from The Independent)