The Holland Park area of London was submerged in a metre of water at approximately 4 am on Wednesday, leaving the following postcodes without a water supply: W6, W4, W14, W8, W12, W11, W1H.
The London Fire Brigade dispatched six fire engines and over 40 firefighters to the scene.
Approximately 2,000 people were left without water.
Station Commander Chris Seymour said: “A burst 30-inch water main caused flooding up to 1-metre deep, affecting more than 50 homes and a hotel over a one-mile area.
There were no reported injuries, but 25 residents were evacuated using inflatable rescue boats. The London Fire Brigade went on to say the incident was dealt with by 5.23 am. Residents were taken to a local hotel. Firefighters used flood barriers to divert water which has now subsided.
Thames Water have apologised. A spokesperson said:
“Our engineers on the ground have shut off the water to the pipe and are in control of the pipe as they prepare to carry out the necessary repairs.”
“Some properties have unfortunately been affected by flooding and we’re very sorry to those impacted. Our customer support team is on the ground supporting residents and we will do everything we can to get things back to normal.”
by Harry Smith – ADJ CFJ Alumni
Freelance Journalist