Yahoo News Merthyr sinkhole update as cause of huge collapse given and people still unable to go home
A major update into the cause of a huge sinkhole in Merthyr Tydfil has been given with the council stating it is believed it developed over six days after flooding caused by Storm Bert. The leader of Merthyr Council has issued an update on the 50ft sinkhole which opened up on a road in a cul-de-sac in Nant Morlais, Pant.
A total of 29 homes were evacuated on Sunday after the hole in the ground, which first appeared on Saturday, continued to grow. By Sunday morning residents estimated its depth at 40-50ft.One resident said you could hear very large falls of debris into what sounded like a fast-flowing stream. Water and electrical wires can be seen in the sinkhole with reports that it has emerged after a culvert – a structure that allows water to flow under roads and railways – had collapsed.
Speaking to the PA news agency, John Mitchell, 76, whose home sits near the edge of the sinkhole, said: "It is frightening – you don't know what will happen with the water going under there and washing everything away. I came home and the whole of the bit there was barricaded off and the hole just gradually got worse and worse as it was opening up. I couldn't see down to the bottom but it was a good depth – it was really quite deep."
READ MORE: 10 Merthyr Tydfil sinkhole images that capture epic scale of housing estate crater
Mr Mitchell and his wife have been put up in a hotel and he said they would have to "wait and see how everything unfolds" but he hoped his home would be safe. He said he had been aware of the Morlais stream, which runs under the street and gives it its name, having walked through it as a child.
Those who have been evacuated have not been given a timeline as to when they will be able to return to their homes as engineers scramble to stabilise the hole before it expands further. Council workers and police officers were on site all day on Sunday and Monday while work continues.
Access to the road still is still completely restricted with people asked to avoid the area. In an update on Monday council leader Brent Carter said initial rumblings indicating the collapse had been heard by residents who believed it to be thunder.
He said: “Our priority today is to stop the flow of water going into the culvert so that our engineers can do interim stabilisation works to stop it expanding further. We can then carry out a safe inspection.
“The sinkhole has resulted from the sheer volume of material that was washed down from the mountain during Storm Bert. At around 6am on Sunday, November 24, three separate households from Nant Morlais heard rumblings and bangs, which at the time they thought was thunder. However from our understanding that is when the collapse happened and it has taken =six days to migrate to the surface.
“We understand that residents from the street are keen to know when they will be able to return to their homes. However we will not be able to give a timeline on this until a thorough inspection of the culvert has taken place to eliminate any further risk. In the meantime residents from the 29 properties that were evacuated are being supported by our housing officers. Safety is our absolute priority.”
Speaking to the PA news agency he said: “It seems to be getting bigger – there’s more cracks coming across the road and into walls and gardens.” He added: “What appears to be the cause is we had two landslides further up the mountain, which has caused stone to come down and come crashing straight through the culvert and obviously collapse the arch in Nant Morlais.”
While Cllr Carter said he hoped residents would be back in their homes by Christmas he said he could not give a timeline for how long it would take for remediation works to be completed. Cllr Carter said they hope to block off the water and then the culvert could be inspected and remediation work can be completed.
He thanked the residents who have been evacuated for their understanding. He continued: “[On Sunday] we were trying to get people out of their homes and into temporary accommodation – to pack a bag all within 15 minutes’ notice, it’s traumatic, I’ve got every sympathy for them, it’s a terrible time. Our team and the officers of the council, as well as external agencies, are moving heaven and earth to ensure everything is put back into place as soon as possible but obviously safety is paramount.”
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