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
Bank Of Montreal To Cut About 1,850 Positions In Bid To Trim Costs
There were 46,166 full-time equivalent employees at the bank (TSX:BMO) as of the second quarter, a decline of 616 employees from the previous quarter.
Bank Of Montreal To Cut About 1,850 Positions In Bid To Trim Costs
New B.C. Oil Discovery Takes Province's Crude Output To A Nine-Year High
In Premier Christy Clark's vision of British Columbia's economic future, natural gas is the headliner as the province gears up to export billions of tonnes of liquefied natural gas from proposed West Coast projects.
New B.C. Oil Discovery Takes Province's Crude Output To A Nine-Year High
Winnipeg Artist Transforms Nightclub Urinal Into Donald Trump 'Potty Mouth'
The men's bathroom in District Stop nightclub has been outfitted with a mural of the presumptive Republican candidate with a urinal in place of Trump's mouth.
Winnipeg Artist Transforms Nightclub Urinal Into Donald Trump 'Potty Mouth'
'I Will Never Forgive,' Slain Teen Sammy Yatim's Mother Tells Toronto Cop's Sentencing
Sahar Bahadi, speaking through tears in a slow determined voice, said all she wants is justice for the death of her 18-year-old son, Sammy Yatim.
'I Will Never Forgive,' Slain Teen Sammy Yatim's Mother Tells Toronto Cop's Sentencing
Justin Trudeau's Drive Against Paying Ransoms Will Broaden G7 Position
Peter Boehm, Trudeau's personal representative at the G7 summit, told reporters in Japan that there's a growing sense around the table that citizens from these major economies can be in danger at any time.
Justin Trudeau's Drive Against Paying Ransoms Will Broaden G7 Position
Toronto Man Accused Of Pointing Laser At Helicopter Just Hours After Launch Of Campaign
York Regional Police say the Air2 helicopter was flying over Richmond Hill, Ont., just after midnight Wednesday when the pilot and tactical flight officer were struck by a bright light source.