The metal mass found inside an underground sewer pipe near the site of a sinkhole in Saitama Prefecture has been identified as the cab of a truck that plunged into the hole created by the incident in late January, prefectural officials said Tuesday.
A human-like figure is visible inside the cab, and it could be the 74-year-old driver of the truck, according to the officials.
Also on Tuesday, Saitama Gov. Motohiro Ono announced the prefecture's decision to apply the disaster relief law to the city of Yashio, where the road cave-in occurred.
Meanwhile, the prefecture's request for about 1.2 million residents of 12 municipalities, including Yashio, to cooperate in reducing wastewater ended at noon Wednesday.
In the incident that occurred at around 9:50 a.m. on Jan. 28, a part of an intersection in Yashio collapsed, causing the truck to plunge into the sinkhole. The loading platform of the vehicle was later recovered.
Earlier this month, a white metal mass was found in the sewer pipe during a drone survey. The company that owns the truck identified through the footage the metal object as a part of the vehicle, according to the prefectural government.
Police and others will try to examine the inside of the cab as there is a possibility that the driver may be trapped there.
To reduce the amount of sewage in the pipe in question, the prefectural government will shortly start the construction of a bypass pipe. It is forecast to be completed in three months.
Ground improvement work is under way in areas around the sinkhole. Ono said that residents staying at evacuation facilities will likely be able to return to their homes in several weeks.
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