Overview
- A steel retaining pipe about 3.5 meters in diameter and roughly 27–30 meters long surged 10–13 meters above a road in Osaka’s Kita Ward, nearly reaching an elevated roadway.
- Firefighters cut into the pipe and injected water to push it downward, reducing it to just a few feet above the surface by Thursday.
- Concrete debris was scattered beneath an elevated section of National Route 423 near Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station, but authorities reported no injuries.
- Police closed around 600 meters of roadway and partially shut the elevated route, leading to significant traffic congestion in the area.
- City officials plan to cut the remaining 1.6 meters (about 5.2 feet) visible above ground over the coming days, with traffic restrictions expected to continue as the cause remains under investigation.