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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| London sinkhole partially swallows car | London sinkhole partially swallows car |
| (4 months later) | |
| A sinkhole has opened up outside a graveyard in south London and partially swallowed a people carrier. | A sinkhole has opened up outside a graveyard in south London and partially swallowed a people carrier. |
| The Metropolitan police were called to Woodland Terrace in Greenwich at about 3.23am on Thursday. Officers found the front of the blue family car poking out of the hole, which had appeared outside Benefice of Charlton St Thomas’ church. | The Metropolitan police were called to Woodland Terrace in Greenwich at about 3.23am on Thursday. Officers found the front of the blue family car poking out of the hole, which had appeared outside Benefice of Charlton St Thomas’ church. |
| No one was injured, said police. But one local man said he feared the worst. “I have never seen anything like this before. You don’t expect dirty great holes opening up in the ground,” said Jamie Thornton, who spotted the hole as he drove to work. “I do hope it isn’t a portal to hell and the apocalypse is coming.” | No one was injured, said police. But one local man said he feared the worst. “I have never seen anything like this before. You don’t expect dirty great holes opening up in the ground,” said Jamie Thornton, who spotted the hole as he drove to work. “I do hope it isn’t a portal to hell and the apocalypse is coming.” |
| It seems that the sudden collapse of the road may have been caused by torrential rain in the capital over the past couple of days. Thornton, 45, told the Mirror that the weather overnight was “abysmal”. | It seems that the sudden collapse of the road may have been caused by torrential rain in the capital over the past couple of days. Thornton, 45, told the Mirror that the weather overnight was “abysmal”. |
| “We had this massive storm overhead that sounded like the heavens were opening,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it when I realised there was this massive hole in the ground.” | “We had this massive storm overhead that sounded like the heavens were opening,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it when I realised there was this massive hole in the ground.” |
| Edward Simmons, who lives down the road from the scene, said he heard nothing overnight and only learned about the hole when a friend texted him at about 6.45am. He walked down to take a look. | Edward Simmons, who lives down the road from the scene, said he heard nothing overnight and only learned about the hole when a friend texted him at about 6.45am. He walked down to take a look. |
| “Someone down the road [who] was outside said they heard a big bang but went back to bed,” Simmons said. “It’s halfway across the road. It’s a bus route. It’s next to a graveyard, next to a drainage system, so there’s lots of stuff it could be. People were saying it might be the heavy rain but I can’t see how that would have affected it. | “Someone down the road [who] was outside said they heard a big bang but went back to bed,” Simmons said. “It’s halfway across the road. It’s a bus route. It’s next to a graveyard, next to a drainage system, so there’s lots of stuff it could be. People were saying it might be the heavy rain but I can’t see how that would have affected it. |
| “Thames Water and gas and all those sort of people started turning up. I imagine there’s a fair crowd out there now.” | “Thames Water and gas and all those sort of people started turning up. I imagine there’s a fair crowd out there now.” |
| Simmons and other local people took the opportunity to take a photograph. | Simmons and other local people took the opportunity to take a photograph. |
| Sinkhole Woodland Terrace SE7 380 buses will be on diversion, road closed pic.twitter.com/QOvjpMF0Pa | Sinkhole Woodland Terrace SE7 380 buses will be on diversion, road closed pic.twitter.com/QOvjpMF0Pa |
| Sinkhole in SE London causes mass outbreak in smartphone photography.11 million images have so far, and that's just emergency services | Sinkhole in SE London causes mass outbreak in smartphone photography.11 million images have so far, and that's just emergency services |
| A police spokesman said officers were on the scene and had cordoned off the area. A spokeswoman for Thames Water said: “The hole was reported to us just after 4am today and we’ve got engineers at the scene checking there is no damage to our clean water or sewer pipes.” | A police spokesman said officers were on the scene and had cordoned off the area. A spokeswoman for Thames Water said: “The hole was reported to us just after 4am today and we’ve got engineers at the scene checking there is no damage to our clean water or sewer pipes.” |
| A royal borough of Greenwich spokesman said the council was working with emergency services to secure the area. “We are urgently investigating the matter and will update residents the moment we have more information,” he added. | A royal borough of Greenwich spokesman said the council was working with emergency services to secure the area. “We are urgently investigating the matter and will update residents the moment we have more information,” he added. |