SAPPORO -- Damage caused by the powerful earthquake that struck Hokkaido on Thursday included a road that collapsed in a residential area of Kiyota Ward, Sapporo, after burst water pipes submerged it in water.
A 50- to 70-meter length of the road caved in, dropping nearly 1 meter lower than before. At least four or five houses along the road inclined due to the road's collapse, and muddy water ran from cracks in the asphalt.
"After the tremors stopped, I heard the sound of flowing water," said a 53-year-old woman whose house was partially destroyed. "I wondered if it was raining and looked outside, only to discover the road had just turned into a river."
The woman ran out of her house with her husband and daughter and they got into their car, all the while trying to avoid the muddy flow of water. She said the road in front of her house had collapsed in many places, but her family managed to evacuate to higher ground.
"We were able to escape [from the damaged area] while talking to each other and my neighbors," the woman said. "Now, I feel nothing but anxiety as we might face aftershocks at anytime."
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