1.2 million in Japan told to use less water to help sinkhole rescue

The hole suddenly opened up in Yashio during the morning rush hour on Tuesday, swallowing the lorry.

Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by unstable ground around the hole and a second, larger hole appearing. Water has also been seeping in.

"Putting our first priority on saving the person's life, we are asking residents to refrain from non-essential use of water such as taking a bath or doing laundry," a Saitama prefecture official told AFP on Thursday.

"Using toilets is difficult to refrain from, but we are asking to use less water as much as possible."

In a statement sent to the roughly 1.2 million residents, the prefecture asked them to "please continue to refrain from sewage as polluted water may overflow".

"As the rescue work is facing difficulties, it will likely take time to restore" the sewage system, it said.

Some sewage water in the area was collected and released to a nearby river Wednesday.

No contact has been had with the 74-year-old truck driver since around 1:00 pm (0400 GMT) Tuesday and rescuers have been working around the clock to reach him.

The initial sinkhole, estimated at about 10 metres wide and six metres deep (33 feet by 20 feet), has since merged with another.

"At around 2:30 am (on Thursday), the two holes became one, and with risk of another landslide or collapse of roads, we've been unable to use heavy machinery," a fire department official told AFP.