Japan mends giant sinkhole in a Fukuoka road within a week

Image source, AP

Image caption, The street in the Japanese city of Fukuoka, pictured on the day the sinkhole appeared (left), and one week later after its restoration

A busy Japanese road reopened on Tuesday, just one week after it was wrecked by a gigantic sinkhole.

Construction workers moved fast to fill the hole, which spanned a five-lane street, stretching 30 metres (98 feet) wide and 15 metres deep.

The chasm first appeared on Tuesday, 8 November, in a business district of the south-west city of Fukuoka.

No one was hurt in the collapse, but local media reported disruptions to electricity, gas and water services.

The street reopened at 05:00 Tuesday (20:00 GMT Monday), in time for rush hour.

The city's Mayor Soichiro Takashima released apologising for the "great trouble", thanking workers for their efforts, and insisting that an investigation into the incident's causes would continue.

City officials have said it could have been caused by underground construction nearby.

Video caption, Amateur footage shows sinkhole in a busy street in Fukuoka, Japan