The sudden appearance of the pipe baffled local residents and workers alike, as no one witnessed its dramatic emergence. Many speculated whether a new support structure for the road had been installed in the dead of night.

The pipe, boasting a diameter of 11.5 feet, had at one point reached an impressive height of 42 feet, as confirmed by the Osaka construction department.

At the construction site, workers had been integrating an existing sewer line with a channel intended for excess rainwater. The pipe that surfaced was part of the infrastructure used as a retaining wall to prevent soil collapse, explained the construction department.

According to officials, the water had been drained from the site before the pipe’s unexpected rise, which might have caused the now-empty pipe to float upwards.

On Thursday, firefighters cut a hole in its side and injected water to push it down, allowing the pipe to tower just a few feet above ground.

City officials said they plan to cut the last 5.2 feet of the pipe that remains visible above the ground in an operation that would cause the road to remain shuttered for several more days.

With Post wires