LONDON, Feb 20 — Residents of a village in southeastern England were in shock on Wednesday after a large sinkhole opened along their road and began to expand forcing evacuations.
A first crater appeared on Godstone village high street late on Monday and grew to over 20 metres long — about the length of a blue whale.
A second hole then appeared on Wednesday on the same stretch of road, where dozens of homes have been cordoned off by the police.
Families have been evacuated and Surrey County Council has declared a “major incident,” though no injuries have been reported.
Aerial footage showed one hole filled with water, while a parked car’s back wheels teetered near the edge of the other.
Garage owner Shane Fry’s workshop is about 200 metres from the scene, and he said the first crater “looked like a pond.”
“It’s been pretty mad but I’m trying to put my sensible head on,” the 34-year-old told AFP.
He was concerned about the effect on his business and urged the authorities to carry out repairs quickly.
The cause of the collapse is unclear and officials have called for an investigation.
Theories include heavy traffic, a burst water pipe and the makeup of the rock beneath the street.
“The site continues to be assessed by structural experts, in order to manage the risk and understand what needs to be done to make safe and repair,” County Council assistant director Carl Bussey said in a statement.
Large sinkholes are rare in Britain, where residents often grumble about smaller potholes on their roads.
In Japan, which is blighted by ageing sewer pipes and extreme weather, thousands of sinkholes are reported each year.
Earlier this month, a 40-metre-wide crater opened near Tokyo swallowing a truck and its 74-year-old driver, who is believed to have died in the accident. — AFP
