Giant sinkhole swallows entire street in Japan

A giant sinkhole has opened up in the Japanese city of Fukuoka. Residents of the city on the north coast of Kyushu saw the sinkhole swallow an entire five-lane road in the middle of the city. Japanese authorities evacuated people from nearby buildings as a safety precaution, but despite widespread disruption to traffic, and to supplies of electricity, water and gas, incredibly there were no injuries. The massive sinkhole near Hakata Station measured 27 metres wide and 30 metres long, with water from broken pipelines flooding the 15-metre deep hole. Local authorities are investigating the cause of the latest sinkhole in Japan, but reports suggest ongoing subway construction work nearby may have been a factor.