Sinkhole near Fukuoka's Hakata Station

Shortly after 5am this morning (November 8, 2016) a huge sinkhole began developing on a famous street in front of the large Hakata Station in Fukuoka City in Kyushu, Japan. So far, I have learned few details about the cause, but I have learned that work was stopped on construction of a nearby subway tunnel when it began flooding, and utilities are cut off to many buildings in the area. My wife just told me (at 11:30 am) that the water flowing into the hole was just cut off. No casualties have been reported.



Reporting in English is available at this time at NHK World.



A search topic in Japanese: 福岡の博多駅前シンクホール

Attachments:

Sinkhole.kmz (823 B)

That is enormous and scary! I trust they've gotten it partly repaired by now.

The sinkhole began on the morning of November 8. Crews worked day and night to fill the hole with a mixture of concrete and dirt up to the level where utility breaches could be restored, and traffic was moving through the street by November 14. I've been away from my computer for almost a week, so it's one of many stories I've lost touch with. The update on NHK World reads:



"Official records show that experts had warned of the risk of a cave-in near the site where a massive sinkhole appeared in Fukuoka, western Japan.



A section of a road caved in near JR Hakata Station, one of the railway hubs in the region, on November 8th. The city authorities determined that tunneling for a subway was to blame.



Experts and officials with the city's transport bureau met in February last year, shortly before the work began.



One expert warned of the possibility of a cave-in, citing the complex strata and fragile bedrock of the area. The expert also said that groundwater posed a risk.



But city officials said records of construction projects indicated there was nothing unusual about the area.



Another said drilling could create cracks.



The city took safety precautions, such as digging the tunnel about 90 meters deeper than originally planned to avoid groundwater.



A research panel at a national institute will study the possibility that problems with the construction work triggered the collapse."

Edit: Sorry, I forgot that Krenek had posted an update HERE. I'll leave my reply, in case anyone is interested in further information.