Japan tries to rescue man stuck in sinkhole. Here's what's going on.

TOKYO (AP) — A truck that plummeted into a sudden sinkhole on a road in the Tokyo area has gripped the entire nation as rescuers continue to try and save the elderly driver stuck beneath the earth. Neighbors near the crater have taken refuge at a nearby school, and there's growing concern about the potential for flooding and sewage backup. The incident has also reignited intense debate about Japan's outdated infrastructure.

What happened?

Early on Tuesday morning, a 3-ton truck suddenly fell into a sinkhole that had mysteriously appeared in Yashio City, just northeast of Tokyo. Initially, the sinkhole was around 10 meters wide and 5 meters deep, but since then, its size has roughly doubled.

What about the driver?

A 74-year-old man is thought to be trapped inside the flatbed of a truck. He was conscious and talking with rescue crews Tuesday afternoon, but has not responded since then, according to Yashio fire department official Yoshifumi Hashiguchi.

What caused the sinkhole?

Saitama prefectural sewer system official Jun Uehara stated that possible corrosion of pipes, maybe resulting from extremely acidic substances continuously flowing through the system, created a hole in the pipe, which in turn caused soil on top to collapse and form a large hollow area between it and the road.

A routine inspection of the pipe found no issues, which needs to be done every five years. However, the damaged pipe is also leaking sewage water, which could lead to flooding.

What's causing the delay in the rescue operation?

The unstable ground beneath the sinkhole is making rescue efforts challenging. Footage from TV showed the asphalt road collapsing into the hole, taking down billboards with it. Emergency personnel have been trying to rescue the driver by lifting his truck with cranes, but so far they've only managed to recover the cargo bed, leaving the cabin behind where the driver is presumed to be stuck. Officials have also attempted to clear away debris and dig out the driver, but these efforts have been unsuccessful. Additionally, a drone was flown into the hole to see if rescue workers might be able to climb down, but no progress has been made.

What about the neighbors?

Residents are being asked to reduce their water consumption. Specific sections of the road are closed, and there is also uncertainty regarding the duration of the current operations.

Approximately 20 residents living within a 200-meter distance from the sinkhole have sought refuge at a nearby junior high school, the city reports.

More than one million residents in the Saitama prefecture have been asked to reduce their laundry and bathing to avoid sewage from overflowing into a nearby sinkhole. Officials are also redirecting sewage from a nearby pumping station into a nearby river after it's been treated to prevent overflow.

What's next?

When the driver is safely removed, experts will then enter the sinkhole to inspect the sewer system.

The government has called for a nationwide check of sewer networks. In a country known for its frequent natural disasters, a sinkhole has raised concerns over outdated infrastructure.

Most of Japan's major public infrastructure was built during its rapid economic boom in the 1960s and 1970s. The sewage pipe in Yashiro is about forty years old.