Tag: sinkhole

The workday commute is difficult enough without total disasters getting in the way.

I live less than eight blocks from the school where I teach and it still takes me almost 10 minutes to get to work. Since I only live in a mid-sized town, I can’t even begin to imagine the struggles of trying to get to work in a much larger hub like New York City or Philadelphia.While there are many ways I could go about bettering my daily commute, after seeing what improving the subway systems in this Japanese city could’ve just caused, I think I’ll stick to leaving a few minutes early.

Commuters in Fukuoka, Japan, were in for quite the delay when a large sinkhole opened up in the middle of the street.

Read More: If You’re Looking For A Crazy Adventure, Cliff Camping Could Be Your Next Thrill

The almost 100-foot-wide sinkhole is said to have started as two significantly smaller sinkholes before merging into the immense cavity pictured below.

Sewage quickly began filling the gap which is almost 50 feet deep.

While local authorities are still investigating the cause of the leak, subway crews were working just under 1,000 feet away from the split trying to extend an existing tunnel. Some say this could’ve contributed to the disaster.

Read More: People Are Stumped About This Mysterious Creature That Was Spotted In Alaska

Luckily, no one was injured because of the sinkhole, but many nearby residents were evacuated and roughly 170 households are still without power.

The five major roads surrounding the sinkhole site, located in the Fukuoka business district, have also been closed down until further notice. It is unknown if there was any major damage to surrounding gas lines, and investigations into potential gas leaks are still underway.

I don’t know about you, but that’s definitely not how I’d like to start my day.