People have been forced to evacuate their homes because of a burst water pipe in a north London street.
The water main in Belsize Road, Camden, burst at 2.50am, causing flooding up to half a meter deep “over an area of around 800 metres”, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.
Several houses were flooded, with firefighters having to pull about 20 people to safety. The LFB said eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were on the scene.
LFB Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Williams said: “There are significant road closures and we are asking people to avoid the area where possible.
“The water utility is working to contain the burst water main and firefighters are expected to remain on scene for several hours. Crews are using flood barriers and a high-volume pumping unit to divert floodwater.”
The London Fire Brigade said the burst water main had caused flooding up to half a meter deep. Photo: Yui Mok/Pennsylvania
Cody Dolsey-Grant, of Hilgrove Road, at the end of Belsize Road, told the PA news agency she woke to scenes “like the River Thames” outside.
“I only became aware of the situation at 7am when I went to the toilet, I realized that the toilet was not flushing and the taps were not running,” said the 27-year-old, who is unemployed as a result.
“My road was flooded… When I opened the front door it was like a horror scene – fire engines all over my road, police, ambulance and then I looked to my left and it was like the River Thames outside.”
Dolsey-Grant lives on the second floor of her building, so her home was not flooded, but she said she still had no running water until midday, while all the shops on her street were closed.
Footage shared on social media showed emergency services using small boats and helping residents wrapped in blankets to safety. A leisure center has been set up at the nearby Swiss Cottage leisure centre.
Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the most popular stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertisements and content funded by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to secure our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Thames Water said: “We are working with local emergency services to ensure all residents are safe as a priority while our engineers continue to close pipe valves in the surrounding area.
“If your home has been flooded we are very sorry, we know this must be very worrying. Our support teams are on their way to assist customers experiencing low pressure or no water.”
PA Media contributed to this report
Add Comment