Sinkhole spanning four-lane road swallows van in Ottawa:VIDEOS
Sinkhole spanning four-lane road swallows van in Ottawa
Sinkhole stretching sidewalk to sidewalk near Canada’s parliament, and reports of gas leak, prompt evacuation of buildings
Ottawa sinkhole
Water can be seen in a large sinkhole that formed in Ottawa on Wednesday. Photograph: Justin Tang/AP
A sinkhole spanning the width of a four-lane road has opened in downtown Ottawa, swallowing a van, causing a gas leak and forcing the evacuation of several buildings in the heart of Canada’s capital.
The large sinkhole formed on Wednesday a few blocks away from parliament, in an area that was under construction and had been closed to all traffic save buses and taxis. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Many on social media reported a “foul” smell of gas hanging over the area, prompting the hurried evacuation of a nearby shopping centre as well as a hotel and convention centre. Firefighters went door to door evacuating other businesses that sit along the busy stretch of road.
The gaping hole first appeared midmorning on Wednesday, with estimates putting it as large as five metres in diameter. Video taken from the scene showed dirty brown water gushing into a deep break in the paved road.
The sinkhole quickly grew to stretch from sidewalk to sidewalk of the four-lane road. As it widened, a parked dark van and a street lamp tumbled into the sinkhole.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/08/sinkhole-ottawa-swallows-van
