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Canal Collapses! Boats Plunge into 4-Meter Sinkhole
23 Dec
Summary
- Two narrowboats sunk, two others teetered on edge after sinkhole formed.
- Fifty firefighters deployed to rescue operations amid challenging conditions.
- Around a dozen local residents evacuated from nearby boats to a welfare centre.
A catastrophic embankment failure caused a significant sinkhole to develop, leading to the submersion of two narrowboats and threatening others. The incident, occurring shortly after 04:00 GMT, prompted a large-scale rescue operation involving fifty firefighters. These emergency responders faced unstable ground and rapidly moving water, implementing safety measures to control the flow.
Crews worked diligently to secure the area, establishing safety sectors and mitigating water flow. More than ten members of the public were safely assisted. Approximately a dozen local residents, evacuated from nearby moored boats, were relocated to a welfare center as a precaution. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported.
The sinkhole, described as approximately 50 by 50 meters and four meters deep, resulted in large volumes of water spilling into surrounding fields. Local residents reported hearing unusual noises, initially mistaking them for an earthquake, before realizing the severity of the canal breach.
