Sinkhole driver still trapped

Emergency workers in Japan began building a ramp yesterday to try and reach a 74-year-old truck driver who has not been heard from since his vehicle was swallowed by a sinkhole this week.

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Yashio - Emergency workers in Japan began building a ramp yesterday to try and reach a 74-year-old truck driver who has not been heard from since his vehicle was swallowed by a sinkhole this week.

The cavity has expanded to 40m across, almost the length of an Olympic swimming pool, since opening up in a city just north of Tokyo on Tuesday, officials said.

The growing hole could be the result of corroded sewage pipes, according to authorities in Yashio.

"It is an extremely dangerous condition," local fire chief Tetsuji Sato told reporters at the traffic intersection, where dozens of rescuers have been working around the clock.