"What Is That?" Eyes Wide in Disbelief... Pipe Bursts Through Downtown Osaka Like 'Super Mario'

Steel Pipe Protrudes at Sewer Construction Site

Severe Traffic Congestion During Rush Hour, No Reported Injuries

A metal pipe buried underground suddenly broke through the surface and rose above ground on a road in downtown Osaka, Japan. It is believed that the structure used at the construction site floated to the surface due to buoyancy or other factors, and authorities are investigating the exact cause.

A large pipe rising from the downtown road in Osaka. X

On March 11, the Yomiuri Shimbun and other media outlets reported that a huge metal pipe, about 3 meters in diameter, broke through the surface and protruded above ground on a major road in Umeda, central Osaka, earlier that morning.

According to the City of Osaka, the construction involved installing a vertical pipe to connect an existing sewer pipe at a shallow depth with a new sewer pipe to be placed deeper underground. Steel pipes about 2.5 meters in length were sequentially connected and buried, with the final structure reaching approximately 30 meters underground.

The construction work had been completed up to the day before, and workers were in the process of draining the groundwater that had accumulated inside the pipe. The top of the structure was originally intended to be sealed with a manhole cover.

However, according to workers at the site, the pipe gradually began to rise upward and eventually protruded more than 10 meters above ground. The Osaka City Construction Bureau is investigating the exact cause, considering several possible factors such as groundwater and buoyancy.

Yujo Onishi, Professor Emeritus of Geotechnical Engineering at Kyoto University, told the Yomiuri Shimbun, "I have seen cases where manholes float due to liquefaction after earthquakes, but I have never heard of such a massive structure rising several meters above the ground. Judging by the way it lifted, a considerable force may have been involved, so a careful investigation is needed."

Meanwhile, no injuries have been reported as a result of this incident. However, vehicle traffic was prohibited in the area for an extended period due to the aftermath of the accident, leading to severe traffic congestion during the morning rush hour.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.