A major incident has been declared as a huge sinkhole has swallowed a canal.
Emergency services have rushed to the scene in the Chemistry areas of Whitchurch in Shropshire.
Three boats became caught in a terrifying sinkhole which began developing at around 4.22am.
Firefighters were called to rescue the passengers of the three vessels, as the sinkhole opened up to approximately 50 metres by 50 metres in size, firefighters said.
Six fire crews helped rescue more than 10 members in the public.
The crews battled through ‘unstable ground and rapidly moving water’ as they began the rescue.
The canal bank collapsed leaving large volumes of water escaping into the surrounding land.
Fire crews were joined by West Mercia Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service (including HART), the Canal & River Trust, the Environment Agency, local authority emergency planning officers, and National Resilience.
A spokesperson for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘Firefighters 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.’
Area Manager Scott Hurford added: ‘We can confirm no persons are believed to be on board the affected canal boats, and no injuries have been reported.
‘Approximately 12 residents from nearby moored boats are being supported and relocated to a welfare centre at the former Whitchurch Police Station.
‘A major incident was declared at 5.17am however as of 8.30am the situation was stable with water flow reduced and there is no ongoing search and rescue activity.
‘Multiagency attendance remains in place to manage the environmental impact, protect nearby properties, and ensure public safety. Please avoid the area while we continue to deal with this significant incident.’
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