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This photo shows the massive sinkhole in Fukuoka. Sadayuki Goto/Kyodo News via AP

Japanese workers praised as street swallowed by sinkhole reopens after just a week

Miraculously, no one was hurt in the accident in Fukuoka.

A JAPANESE CITY has reopened a busy street that collapsed into a giant sinkhole, with the efforts of workers who toiled around the clock for a week drawing praise on social media.

The gigantic sinkhole, measuring around 30 metres wide and 15 metres deep, appeared last Tuesday in a bustling business district in the southwestern city of Fukuoka, swallowing part of a five-lane street.

The sinkhole, apparently triggered by subway construction in the area, had exposed the support columns of nearby buildings at a traffic intersection.

Japanese workers toiled continuously for a week, dumping huge amounts of wet cement and sand into the gaping hole and fixing electricity, gas and water lines that had stopped following the accident.

Japan Sinkhole Kyodo News via AP Kyodo News via AP

The street reopened at 8pm last night (5am local time), Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima said in a statement, exactly a week after the ground began sinking.

“We’re very sorry for causing great trouble,” Takashima said, noting that a ban on access to surrounding buildings was lifted.

Miraculously, no one was hurt in the accident in Fukuoka, the biggest city on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.

Many on social media expressed amazement at the quick recovery.

“I’m surprised the road reopened in a week!,” one Twitter user said.

“Impressive. That was fast,” said another.

© AFP 2016.

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    Mute Jim Brock
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    Jun 7th 2023, 9:37 AM

    Oppressively Warm is environmentalist speak for lovely weather ahead this weekend.

    They really are such a hap hap happy bunch of non-doomsday and rational thinking folk (not)

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    Mute Antbony Kearns
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    Jun 7th 2023, 10:28 AM

    What a load of tosh.. A weather warning for night time temperatures of between 11 and 16 degrees for a few days.. Although the weather has been warm lately there has been a persistent cool eastern breeze and it’s making the evening very cool.. A weather warning for not even normal summer weather..

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    Mute HP M
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    Jun 7th 2023, 10:26 AM

    A big angry looking sun as the caption photo!
    Effing pathetic. And to think of all the gullible eejits devouring this garbage. 11 to 16 degrees in the middle of June, omg!!

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    Mute Alex Kemp
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    Jun 7th 2023, 11:03 AM

    @HP M: at night.

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    Mute Dan Dare
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    Jun 7th 2023, 12:20 PM

    Thank god. Tired of cold weather. The cold Spring was a drag. C’mon global warming do your job.

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    Mute Noel Donohue
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    Jun 7th 2023, 12:13 PM

    Come back Evelyn Cusack all is forgiven.

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    Mute Mark Reville
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    Jun 7th 2023, 2:02 PM

    Humidity – which is the amount of water vapour in the air – and ground temperature are not interlinked. So, you can have a relatively low temperature like sixteen degrees but very high humidity levels at the same time. This is what makes for muggy conditions when people complain about it being very “close”. You don’t need a degree in meteorology to understand this.

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    Mute McMahon G
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    Jun 7th 2023, 8:27 PM

    Its called summer, has happened before.

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    Mute BachMutt
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    Jun 7th 2023, 2:38 PM

    Not falling for this “Met Éireann”. We all know you’re in the pocket of Big Weather. George Soros. Bill Gates etc…

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    Mute Mario
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    Jun 7th 2023, 2:30 PM

    Quick, kill some cows to bring it down

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    Mute Gerard McAuliffe
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    Jun 8th 2023, 7:31 AM

    A night time temperature of 11 degrees… you’d need a light jacket at that temperature! Oppressively warm! What a joke

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