Residents evacuated as three-metre deep sinkhole opens up in front garden
Residents had to be evacuated after a three-metre deep sinkhole opened up in a front garden in the Black Country.
The hole, around three metres deep and three metres wide, appeared on Millfields Road in Ettingshall, Wolverhampton, on Monday evening.
The residential road was closed off as a result and neighbours from three houses had to be temporarily moved out of their homes, Wolverhampton Council said.
One household was put up in a hotel overnight while the others were able to return home later that night.
The residents all live between the canal bridge and Chem Road.
Meanwhile The Coal Authority has been carrying out emergency work to fill in the hole, which is deep enough for workers to need a ladder to climb down.
The road was closed off for safety reasons by Wolverhampton Council as emergency work was carried out on the hole by The Coal Authority.
The Coal Authority said the sinkhole is a crown hole – associated with a shallow coal mine workings collapse, and not a vertical mine shaft.
Workers were at the scene throughout Tuesday with heavy machinery next to the hole, which is partly in the pavement and partly in a front garden.
A spokesman for Wolverhampton Council said: “After a significant void – approximately three metres deep by three metres wide appeared on Millfields Road in Bilston [on Monday evening], council teams acted fast to close the road for safety reasons and enable emergency works.
“Affected residents from three properties between the canal bridge and Chem Road were temporarily relocated.
“The Coal Authority now believe the void to be a crown hole, associated with a shallow coal mine workings collapse, and not a vertical mine shaft.
"They will continue to infill the collapse and repair the damaged sewers over the coming days.
“The westbound carriageway reopened to traffic overnight [on Monday] but the eastbound carriageway is likely to remain closed until the works are completed, with a diversion via Ettingshall Road, Bilston Road, Wellington Road and Wolverhampton Street in place.”
