A major incident has been declared after a large hole opened up along a stretch of canal in Shropshire, leaving boats stranded in the cavity or precariously balanced at the edge.
The collapse occurred on the Llangollen Canal in Whitchurch and has been attributed by engineers to an “embankment failure”. The collapse caused water to pour into a nearby field, while the canal bed gave way, creating a deep trench.
Two narrowboats are believed to have sunk into the hole shortly after 04:00 GMT. One witness estimated the cavity to be about 15ft (four metres) deep. Fifty firefighters were sent to the scene and police confirmed there were no reports of injuries.
Engineers from the Canal and River Trust said early descriptions of the incident as a “sinkhole” were inaccurate and did not reflect what had happened. The cause of the embankment failure remains unclear.
Scott Hurford, area manager for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, said crews began receiving reports at around 04:20 GMT.
“The water has leaked out of the canal into surrounding fields,” he said. “Up to 15 people were moved to safety and a number of canal boats have been affected. Some have ended up in the field and others are at the bottom of the canal.”
Residents living on boats near the site said they were first alerted by loud and unusual noises. According to one report, some feared an earthquake. A witness told the BBC the sounds became so intense that people realised they needed to abandon their boats.
Mr Hurford said emergency crews were focused on the immediate response. “Our role is the response phase — saving life, protecting property and the environment — but we will also support the recovery phase,” he said.
West Mercia Police has urged the public to avoid the area, which is located in a part of Whitchurch known as Chemistry.
Mark Durham, principal engineer at the Canal and River Trust, said the correct description of the incident was an embankment failure. He explained the embankment was man-made and designed to support the canal, a role it had performed for more than 200 years.
That changed on Monday, he said, although it was too soon to determine how the structure had become compromised. Once the affected boats are recovered, engineers will examine the site and begin rebuilding work, but the trust said it was not yet possible to say how long repairs would take.
Whitchurch councillor Sho Abdul described the scene as shocking. “It looks like a bomb has gone off — it’s just a huge crater,” he said, adding that people’s lives had been disrupted and homes damaged, which was particularly distressing given the time of year.
Another local councillor, Andy Hall, said two boats were sitting at the bottom of the hole, while two others were balanced on the edge and at risk of falling in.
“The fire service is obviously going to make those safe,” he said, adding that many residents initially thought an earthquake had occurred. He said a nearby field had taken “probably about a million gallons of water” from the canal.
Mr Hall confirmed no one was on board the two boats that fell into the hole and said residents on the boats left hanging over the edge were assisted to safety by fire crews.
Lorraine Barlow, who lives aboard a boat called The Singing Kettle and was moored close to the collapse, said she noticed something was wrong at about 04:20 GMT.
“I could feel a current coming from underneath the boat, bubbling — it sounded really strange,” she said. “Then the boat started tilting towards the middle of the canal and I could feel the ropes tightening.”
She said she left the boat and saw fire crews and search and rescue teams already at the scene. “There was no water left in the canal,” she said. “I was worried about the ropes and about my boat hanging there. It’s an awful thing — I was worried about everyone else.”
Another boater, Paul Storey, who was around 90 yards (82 metres) from the collapse, estimated the affected stretch was between 150 and 180ft (45 to 55 metres) long and about 15ft (four metres) deep.
“We were woken at about 04:20 by a crash on the boat — things were sliding out of cupboards,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “We got off and walked about 100 yards ahead. You could hear the breach — the rush of water was incredible.”
He said one boat had gone over the edge and was visible at the bottom of the breach, while another was swept away. “With the noise, the crashing boats and the ropes creaking, people realised something was very wrong and got off as quickly as they could,” he said.
Mr Hall said firefighters had installed a flood gate to prevent further water escaping from the canal. “The most important thing is that fire and rescue secured the canal,” he said. “Their biggest concern was that the canal could fail further and flood homes in the town.”
He also dismissed rumours circulating on social media, confirming that no bridge had collapsed.
Responding to claims that the embankment had been inspected in recent weeks, Mr Durham said the trust had a robust inspection process. “I’ve spoken to two people who inspected that embankment today and I’m satisfied there were no issues requiring intervention at the time,” he said, adding that the matter would now be fully investigated.
A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust said efforts were under way to restore water levels on either side of the breach as soon as possible, while support was being provided to affected boaters and nearby residents.
