An approximately 300-square-meter crater formed during the early hours of Tuesday at a busy intersection of central Fukuoka - a city about 1, 100 kilometers from Japan's capital Tokyo. "Electricity suddenly dropped and a very loud noise was heard, " one resident told Kyodo news agency.

The hole opened around 5am, but it was possible to empty all the properties in the area in time. By midmorning the road had completely sunk, and soon the crater began to fill with water.

The collapse of the street caused power cuts and gas leaks

Fukuoka Prefecture did not report any deaths or injuries, but said buildings around the crater were in danger of collapse. According to the authorities, the incident was alleged to have occurred as a result of the expansion of an underground subway line.

Because it is one of the busiest streets in the city center, it disrupted traffic and disrupted the supply of electricity to more than 100 homes.