OTTAWA — A gaping hole has opened up in a busy downtown thoroughfare just blocks from Parliament Hill.
Police say 911 calls started coming in at mid-morning and they have been blocking off streets surrounding the cave-in at the corner of Rideau St. and Sussex Drive.
The van on Rideau Street is now under water #ottnews #sinkhole pic.twitter.com/l6Gk5WjM2s
— CTV Ottawa (@ctvottawa) June 8, 2016
"You could see the hole developing. When I got up higher, you could look down into the hole and see the water rising in the hole and the street collapsing into the hole,” One witness told.
No injuries have been reported, although a taxi van is believed to have been swallowed up by the sinkhole, which television footage shows was full of water from a broken water main.
The city says nearby buildings have been evacuated because of the smell of gas.
Guys I just saw a car get sucked into the sinkhole #ottawasinkhole #sinkhole #ottawa pic.twitter.com/7YyaHpzudr
— Anne-Sophie Alarie (@_Sophster) June 8, 2016
Water service in the area has been cut and traffic has been re-routed.
The road itself had been limited to bus and taxi traffic only since last summer due to road and subway construction.
Nearby buildings have been evacuated due to the smell of gas. Please follow instructions from building management https://t.co/YYMTGAkYtv
— City of Ottawa (@ottawacity) June 8, 2016
This is the second sinkhole to open up in downtown Ottawa in recent years.
This is the second sinkhole to open up in the downtown in recent years.
In 2014, another road just a few blocks away collapsed. Officials blamed it on unexpected soil conditions encountered during a tunnelling operation.
MORE National ARTICLES
Ban On Fracking In New Brunswick Will Continue Indefinitely: Minister
Donald Arseneault was responding to a report from the commission on hydraulic fracturing which was released in February.
Ban On Fracking In New Brunswick Will Continue Indefinitely: Minister
Health Canada Clears Saskatchewan Cyclotron To Produce Medical Test Isotopes
SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan Centre for Cyclotron Sciences will soon be able to provide material for medical tests that can detect diseases such as cancer.
Health Canada Clears Saskatchewan Cyclotron To Produce Medical Test Isotopes
Ministers Defend Assisted Dying Bill Amid Push Back From Grassroots Liberals
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says the federal government considered referring its proposed assisted dying law to the Supreme Court to see if it's constitutional.
Ministers Defend Assisted Dying Bill Amid Push Back From Grassroots Liberals
Healthy Lifestyle Key To Cut Breast Cancer Gene Risk
According to researchers, breast cancer remains the most common form of malignancy diagnosed in women in developed countries.
Healthy Lifestyle Key To Cut Breast Cancer Gene Risk
Bell To Pay $11.82m In Rebates After Competition Bureau's Text Messaging Investigation
This marks the highest amount of money obtained for consumer rebates under a Competition Bureau agreement to date.
Bell To Pay $11.82m In Rebates After Competition Bureau's Text Messaging Investigation
Remains Of Missing British Hiker Found In Cypress Provincial Park
The 22-year-old man visited Vancouver as part of an eight-week tour of North America and Vancouver Police say he was last seen in the city on Nov. 25, 2013.