Early in the morning on August 4th, residents of Sunset Park were shocked to discover a large sinkhole at the intersection of 64th Street and 5th Avenue.
The massive sinkhole had claimed most of the intersection but nobody was injured. The 20 ft wide hole opened up suddenly around 7am, according to ABC News.
The hole exposed several pipes running under the road as well as a water main. Officials investigating the scene theorize that a leak from the water main may have steadily washed away dirt under the road until what remained could not support the weight anymore.
Water supply was disconnected to several homes along 5th avenue to facilitate the investigation into the leaking water main, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Locals were surprised by the sinkhole but they do claim that the intersection was in bad condition before the incident.
One resident was quoted saying,
“I’ve been asking them (city officials) to look into this (intersection in bad condition).”
According to The Wall Street Journal, another resident was witness to the actual event; he saw the sinkhole forming slowly as parts of the road fell away.
Image: Via The Wall Street Journal/Mark Morales
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