Four workers died in Gyoda, Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, on 3/8 after falling into a manhole. The Gyoda City Fire Department reported that the workers were inspecting a sewage pipe on 2/8 when one of them fell into the manhole. Three coworkers climbed down to rescue him, but they also fell.

All four workers, in their 50s, were retrieved and taken to a hospital, but doctors pronounced them dead.

Rescuers detected hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas at high concentrations, emanating from the manhole. City officials declined to comment on the cause of the initial fall.

Rescue workers at the scene of the manhole accident in Gyoda on 2/8. Photo: Kyodo

Rescue workers at the scene of the manhole accident in Gyoda on 2/8. Photo: Kyodo

An unnamed Gyoda official stated, "The details of the accident are still unclear, so it's too early for us to talk about our responsibility."

Police said the manhole, 60 cm in diameter and 12 m deep, connected to a 2.6 m diameter sewage pipe built in the 1980s. About 7 workers were present at the time of the incident. They were tasked with clearing sludge from the pipe if necessary.

In January, a truck driver was swallowed by a sinkhole in Yashio after the road surface collapsed due to a corroded sewage pipe. The 74-year-old driver's body wasn't recovered until May.

This incident prompted nationwide inspections of Japan's sewage systems.

Pham Giang (According to AFP)