Yahoo News Everything we know as 'sinkhole' appears in South Shields street
Emergency services are at the scene of a 'sinkhole' in South Tyneside after a section of a road 'collapsed' on Monday morning.
Police and fire crews were called to Broughton Road, in South Shields, at around 5.30am this morning following several reports of a road "collapsing" in the area.
Video footage shared online showed significant damage to a stretch of road with several cars appearing to 'sink' into the ground. All vehicles have now been recovered and removed from the scene.
READ MORE: South Shields road collapse LIVE: Updates as emergency services called to 'sinkhole' on street
Homes in the local area were evacuated earlier today and no one is believed to have been injured in the incident.
The road remains closed as investigations continue.
This is what we know as emergency services remain at the scene.
Where did the incident happen?
The incident happened on Broughton Road, in South Shields, South Tyneside. Photos from the scene show significant damage to the road to the side of a house, where several cars were parked at the time.
What time did the incident happen?
The incident happened in the early hours of Monday morning. Northumbria Police were called to the scene shortly before 5.30am. By 5.45am, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service had received multiple reports of a "road collapsing."
Northumbrian Water was alerted to the incident at 7am and joined emergency services and partners at the scene.
Has anyone been injured?
No injuries have been reported. All cars have been successfully recovered from the scene and homes were evacuated earlier this morning.
North East Ambulance Service remain at the scene to support our emergency services and local authority colleagues.
A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We received a call from our colleagues at Northumbria Police at 6.58am this morning (Monday 27 January) to reports of a portion of road collapsing in the Broughton Road area of South Shields. We dispatched three crews from our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), a duty officer, and our tactical commander to the scene.
"Our duty officer and two HART crews are currently still on-scene to support our emergency services and local authority colleagues, and no casualties have been reported. If you live or commute in or around the affected area, please follow guidance from the police and fire service whilst investigations take place."
Are there any road closures in place?
Broughton Road, in South Shields, is closed to traffic and pedestrians.
What have police said?
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Just before 5.30am today (Monday), we received a report of a portion of road collapsing in the area of Broughton Road in South Shields. Emergency services are currently in attendance and no one is reported to have been injured. Broughton Road is currently closed to vehicles and pedestrians while investigations are ongoing."
What have the fire service said?
A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "We can confirm that today (27th January), an appliance is in attendance of an incident in South Tyneside.
"A crew from South Shields Community Fire Station was dispatched to the scene following a number of emergency calls at 5.45 a.m. reporting a portion of a road collapsing on Broughton Road.
"The incident is still ongoing, and no casualties have been reported. Our firefighters are currently still on scene supporting our blue light partners and the local authorities."
Has water supply been affected?
Northumbrian Water confirmed that the incident resulted in a water main being damaged, impacting water supply at a nearby care home.
In an online statement, Northumbrian Water said: "At around 7am this morning we were made aware of a sinkhole on Broughton Road. Our teams are in attendance and we are working closely with emergency services and local partners to make the area safe, and a cordon has been put in place.
"Multi-agency investigations are being carried out to determine the cause of the hole.
"One of our water mains is damaged and a very small number of customers in a care home nearby may be experiencing low pressure or no water. We have proactively delivered bottled water to them and are working to restore supplies as soon as possible."
What have South Tyneside Council said?
Councillor Tracey Dixon, Leader of South Tyneside Council, said: "We have been assisting the emergency services at the incident since first thing this morning. There's been a multi-agency response with everyone coming together.
"The good news is that no one has been hurt. We appreciate that some people's vehicles have been affected and there has been some disruption to power and water supplies.
"This is a localised incident and a road closure is in place. We are working to support those affected.
"It's too early to say what the cause is at this time and investigations continue. There is minimal impact to the wider community aside and those affected will be updated as things develop."
