Cars crushed in London underground car park after flooding pushes floor 4ft up

A number of parked cars have been crushed in a bizarre incident that saw them pushed against a ceiling in an underground car park.

Flooding caused polystyrene insulation beneath the floor on which the vehicles were parked to rise — damaging them in the process.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday after a burst water main flooded the high street in Crayford, south-east London.

The insulation rose some 4ft, crushing many cars against the concrete ceiling in the newly built parking lot, which is below residential flats.

Underwater: Vehicles are submerged at the weekend. (Rex)

Firefighters pump folder water from street (Rex/Shutterstock

Between 12 and 16 cars are believed to have been damaged, with at least one being written off.

However, a transit van — which didn’t buckle — prevented more from being crushed.

The 12-inch water main burst over the weekend causing flooding of the High Street — and leaving hundreds without running water.

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The London Fire Brigade were called to pump out water from the flooded street, as emergency supplies were brought in.

Residents are believed to have been warned that if any of the cars were removed too hastily it could result in a gas explosion.

Sadia Farzana Chitra, 42, left her black Ford Fusion in one of the affected parking spaces on Saturday, and returned to find it ruined.

A van prevents more damage (Rex/Shutterstock)

She said: “My car is crushed, the roof is gone, the ground has come up — it is a bad architectural design.

"I had another of my neighbours with me and her car was okay, but we were told we cannot move it because there is a possibility with the pressure of the car there could be a blast because of the gas inside, or something. It can blow up the whole building.”

She added: “The problem is who to contact. Someone has said the car insurance might not cover it because it didn’t happen from the driver him or herself. We are in really, really bad shape.”