Sinkhole Opens in the Middle of Japanese City

Subway construction work caused a sinkhole to open next to JR Hakata Station in the capital of the Fukuoka prefecture. The sinkhole has swallowed a major road, causing power and gas supply disruptions, and threatening nearby buildings. The sinkhole first appeared at around 5:15am. Residents and office workers around the sinkhole were evacuated at 9:45am after the sinkhole expanded and showed signs of threatening buildings. Power outages have affected the Bank of Fukuoka’s online systems and caused disruptions to ticketing