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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kelly Ashmore & Alahna Kindred

Huge 15ft sinkhole opens up in street forcing terrified families to flee their homes

Twelve families were forced to flee their homes before Christmas when a 15-foot sinkhole opened up.

A collapsed sewer has been blamed for the gaping hole that emerged at the end of November outside the block of flats in Dudley, West Midlands.

Images from today show how the outside of the apartment building resembles a building site.

Metal fences and 'Keep out' signs surround the block where the gaping hole opened, BirminghamLive reports.

Severn Trent said West Midlands Fire Service told residents to evacuate the building after the sinkhole appeared in the car park at the end of November this year.

The massive sinkhole which appeared in the garden (Harri Chadha / SWNS)

Weeks later, the "complicated and complex" repairs process is still ongoing.

Severn Trent said eight families were given alternative accommodation and four are still being supported, despite not being at fault.

It said repairs were stalled by access issues, as it alleged the building was constructed over one of its large sewers and its foundations were within a metre or so of the affected pipe.

A collapsed sewer was blamed for the large hole (Harri Chadha / SWNS)
Residents have not been allowed back since the large gap appeared (Harri Chadha / SWNS)

A Severn Trent spokesman told The Mirror: “Severn Trent has stepped in to support the residents of Haden Arch since the end of November.

"The sinkhole has appeared due to a damaged sewer pipe, which was built over without the correct build-over agreement, meaning the foundations of the building are very close to the pipe.

"This means it will be a complicated and complex repair with access issues and will take time to complete.

Repairs are still ongoing at the site (Harri Chadha / SWNS)

"Despite Severn Trent not being at fault, and as a gesture of goodwill, we have provided alternative accommodation for some of the residents, as this is clearly a distressing time for everyone, especially over the holidays.”

The Mirror has contacted Remus, the building's management company, for comment.

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