A sinkhole is a depression in the ground created by erosion or drainage of water. Extremely dangerous, sinkholes vary in size from a few feet across to large enough to swallow an entire building.
A
huge sinkhole opens up in the centre of a Japanese city Fukuoka on Nov. 8, 2016, raising concern for commercial buildings on its edge.
Part of the road that was rebuilt over a massive sinkhole in downtown Fukuoka, Japan was closed off over the weekend when authorities noticed the pavement sunk slightly.
Authorities said the road had lowered by nearly 3 inches and the area was closed for a few hours to perform a safety check. No injuries were reported or damage done, so the road was reopened.
A side-by-side image of the sinkhole and the repaired road. Earlier this month, it took just two days for workers to fill the sinkhole that left a space spanning 98 feet long and 49 feet deep. Authorities kept the road closed for a week as they tested the pavement to ensure the area was deemed safe for traffic and pedestrians.
According to the Japan Times, city officials said the mix of soil and cement used to fill the sinkhole could have compressed a layer of ground underneath the road, causing the pavement to sink slightly.
CNN reported that Fukuoka’s mayor Soichiro Takashima apologized in a message posted to Facebook for not warning residents that the road could sink again in the future.
At the time of the road reopening, the mayor had said the ground was now 30 times stronger than before.