Ten people have been helped to safety after a 50-metre-long sinkhole breached a canal in Shropshire in England, leaving several narrow boats stranded.
Emergency services declared a major incident after receiving reports at 4.20am of a sinkhole causing large volumes of water to escape onto land in the Chemistry area of Whitchurch.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said the incident involved ‘a significant breach’ of the canal.
The brigade said in a statement: “Three boats had been caught in a developing sinkhole approximately 50 metres by 50 metres in size and crews helped more than 10 members of the public to safety.
“Firemen have been working in challenging conditions with unstable ground and rapidly moving water, crews immediately established upstream and downstream safety sectors and began mitigating water flow using barge boards and water gate systems.
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