ニュース 2026年10月18日午前10時00分 2026年10月18日
Six years after a road sinkhole opened in Chofu, Tokyo, the operator of the Tokyo Outer Ring Road tunnel reports ground repairs are roughly 80 percent complete but no completion date is in sight. Meanwhile, a crowd crush at a Hindu festival in Kolkata, India killed at least 17 people, a car plowed into a soccer venue in Wichita, Kansas killing two, and raging wildfires across Indonesia have left more than 280,000 people with respiratory illness.
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What this episode answers
How far have ground repairs progressed since the Chofu road sinkhole?
Repairs covering the 16-meter-wide, 220-meter-long zone directly above the tunnel are roughly 80 percent complete; about 30 percent was finished over the past year alone, but the work is behind the original schedule because negotiations over property purchases and temporary relocations for some households remain unresolved, and no completion date has been set.
Is there any prospect of the Tokyo Outer Ring Road tunnel construction resuming?
Construction remains suspended with no resumption in sight; the Tokyo District Court ordered a halt on part of the route four years ago, citing the absence of concrete measures to prevent a recurrence, and East Nippon Expressway Company (東日本高速道路) says it is prioritizing ground repairs.
What caused the crowd crush in Kolkata, India, and how many people were affected?
On the 17th, crowds waiting outside the festival venue surged when rain began to fall, causing people to collapse on top of one another; at least 17 people died and 15 were injured, with Prime Minister Modi expressing condolences on social media.
What happened at the soccer venue in Wichita, Kansas?
Multiple reports reached local authorities on the afternoon of the 17th local time (around 5:30 a.m. Japan time on the 18th) that a vehicle had driven into a soccer match venue in Wichita; two people died, including one child, several others were taken to hospital, and the driver was taken into custody, though the full circumstances remain unclear.
How are Indonesia's wildfires affecting neighboring countries?
Smoke from large-scale fires has spread to neighboring countries including Malaysia and Singapore, with the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre warning residents of a high risk of serious air pollution; inside Indonesia, more than 280,000 people have reported respiratory illness.
Six Years After the Chofu Sinkhole — Repairs 80% Done, No End in Sight
On October 18, 2020, a road sinkhole appeared in a residential neighborhood in Chofu, Tokyo. Multiple underground cavities were subsequently discovered, and the cause was traced to tunnel excavation work being carried out deep below ground by East Nippon Expressway Company (東日本高速道路, NEXCO East) as part of the Tokyo Outer Ring Road project. Today marks six years since that incident.
NEXCO East began repairing the loosened ground three years ago in the zone directly above the tunnel — an area 16 meters wide and 220 meters long. Roughly 80 percent of that zone has now been addressed. Progress advanced by about 30 percentage points over the past year, yet the work is running behind its original schedule because negotiations over property purchases and temporary relocations for some households have not been concluded. No target date for completing the repairs has been set.
The prospect of resuming tunnel construction is equally unclear. The Tokyo District Court issued an injunction four years ago ordering NEXCO East to halt work on certain sections, citing the absence of concrete recurrence-prevention measures. The company says it is focusing on ground repairs as its top priority. In a statement, NEXCO East said: "Relieving the anxiety of local residents is our most important challenge, and we will carry out ground repairs responsibly while listening to the opinions of all stakeholders."
Crowd Crush at Hindu Festival in Kolkata — 17 Dead, 15 Injured
On the 17th, people attending a Hindu festival in Kolkata in eastern India suddenly collapsed on top of one another. Local authorities say at least 17 people have died and 15 others have been injured and are receiving treatment in hospital.
Local media, citing police sources, report that the crush occurred when a large crowd waiting outside the venue began to move all at once after rain started to fall. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and posted a message on his social media accounts praying for the swift recovery of the injured.
Crowd crushes recur in India. Last September, in Tamil Nadu in the south, more than 30 people — including children — died when attendees at a local party rally collapsed on top of one another in similar circumstances.
Car Plows Into Soccer Venue in Wichita, Kansas — 2 Dead Including a Child
On the afternoon of the 17th local time (around 5:30 a.m. Japan time on the 18th), local authorities in Wichita, Kansas received multiple reports that a vehicle had driven into a soccer match venue. At a press conference, authorities confirmed that two people died, one of them a child. Several others were transported to hospital with injuries. Authorities said the driver of the vehicle had been taken into custody, but the full details of what happened remain unknown.
Indonesia's Wildfires Worsen — Smoke Reaches Neighbors, 280,000+ Fall Ill
Indonesia has seen a succession of fires in forests and peatlands this year. The country's meteorological agency explains that the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, combined with the dry season, have created conditions that are highly conducive to fire.
Smoke from large-scale fires has spread as far as neighboring countries including Malaysia and Singapore. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre has warned residents to take precautions, stating that there is a high risk of serious air pollution occurring. According to the Indonesian government, more than 280,000 people have reported respiratory illness so far. Firefighting operations are continuing.
Takeaways
- Six years after the Chofu sinkhole, ground repairs above the Tokyo Outer Ring Road tunnel are about 80 percent complete but are running behind schedule, and neither a completion date nor a restart of tunnel construction has been established.
- At least 17 people were killed in a crowd crush triggered by rain at a Hindu festival in Kolkata, highlighting India's persistent problem with deadly crowd incidents.
- Fueled by El Niño and the dry season, Indonesia's wildfires have worsened to the point where smoke is blanketing neighboring countries and more than 280,000 Indonesians have developed respiratory illness.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.