Timelapse captures incredibly swift Japanese sinkhole repair (VIDEO)

16 Nov, 2016 11:11 / Updated 7 years ago

A Japanese sinkhole which threatened to swallow up an entire street is continuing to enjoy its 15 minutes of fame after Fukuoka City workers filled it in within just one week of its appearance.

Images of the repaired road were circulated online earlier this week and video has now emerged showing how contractors swiftly erased any evidence of the 30-meter (49ft) wide and 15-meter deep chasm.

The incredible timelapse has been viewed millions of times across social media, and depicts the sheer determination and hard work that went into repairing a road cave-in which threatened local businesses.

In the CCTV footage, a number of large excavators and cranes are seen clearing debris, before piping is replaced and fresh tarmac laid.

Social media users all over the world also chimed in to poke fun at how long it might take their country to rectify such a traffic mess.

“In Puerto Rico [it] would take… Nevermind we are on a 72 billions debt. The hole would remain forever,” one man commented on Facebook.

One person added: “If it were America, [we would] build a wall around it.”

“If it happens in China, it only takes us 1 to 2 days but costs 10 billions and collapse again next year. This how we create jobs and opportunities,” said another.

The massive hole was created earlier this month when excavation on an underground train tunnel went horribly awry, causing chunks of earth to give way.

While nobody was reported injured in the five-lane road collapse, the incident did cause a series of power outages and major traffic disruption to the area. It also prompted the city mayor to apologize and construction firm, the Taisei Corporation, to promise a swift response to the building mistake.