Giant steel pipe erupts from road in major Japanese city

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A large steel pipe unexpectedly erupted from the ground in Japan, creating a bizarre scene for drivers. The incident led to road closures and significant traffic delays throughout the city.

Live Door News reports that the event took place on March 11th in Osaka’s Kita Ward, under a major road.

Police received a report around 6:50 am after a witness saw a large pipe protruding from the road and reported that concrete was crumbling.

Authorities confirmed the strange object was a large steel pipe used in the building of a sewer tunnel. The pipe, about 27 meters long and 3.5 meters wide, unexpectedly rose over 10 meters into the air at one point, according to reports.

Police are investigating giant steel pipe eruption

Although the scene looked frightening, authorities confirmed a potential disaster was avoided because the broken pipe didn’t actually strike the road above it.

Pictures of the incident quickly spread online, with one post showing a stark comparison of how things looked before and after what could have been a very serious accident.

After the pipe burst, emergency teams quickly secured it by drilling and filling it with water. The water pressure slowly pushed the pipe back into place.

Due to sewer construction, a section of Shingomisasu Street is closed to traffic. It appears a pipe has surfaced from underground. Initially, it seemed like a minor issue, but reports indicate the pipe is 5 meters in diameter and protrudes over ten meters! That’s a significant disruption.

— Yaniking (@morte1899) March 11, 2026

Police have closed a half-mile stretch of road, and a section of the highway above it has also been partially blocked off.

Osaka City officials are investigating why a large pipe unexpectedly burst up from the ground.

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2026-03-11 14:22