London flooding sees firefighters forced to use boats to save residents
A burst water main flooded a major road in north London on Tuesday, as fire crews waded through water using boats to evacuate residents from the surging water.
The London Fire Brigade said the burst 30ins pipe was causing flooding between Caledonian Road and Twyford Street, to the junction of Thornhill Bridge Wharf and Caledonian Road in Islington.
Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters plus specialist teams were called to the scene at about 2.45pm, and remained on scene until 6.40pm.
A Thames Water spokesman apologised to the affected residents and said its engineers were on site where they “successfully isolated the damaged section of pipe, which has stabilised the network and restored water supply to the wider area”.
The fires brigade said two of its specialist fire and rescue units, with inflatable boats, pumping equipment and flood kits, were responding to the flooding.
Crews confirmed that around 50 people and three dogs were rescued by firefighters using inflatable boats following the flooding earlier today.
A further 50 people were evacuated from their properties, while there are currently no reports of any injuries, although some homes and businesses have been gutted by flood water.
Around 11,000 homes were affected in the initial break, with some local shops and residences without power into Wednesday.
A major rescue operation was launched amid the flooding
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PAUL WOOD
Fire crews from Dowgate, Euston, Soho and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.
The water firm said that some customers in the N1, N7, WC1X and EC1R postcodes may still experience low pressure or intermittent supply while work was under way.
Ongoing repair work is expected to continue throughout the week, with repair crews on the scene to fix the pipe and reinstate power to residences.
Drivers are being urged to avoid the area and a respite centre for affected residents has been set up at Islington Tennis Centre.
Una O’Halloran, leader of Islington Council, said her “heart goes out” to those who live and work in the area.
She said: “Local people simply shouldn’t have to face this level of disruption – we’re doing all we can to resolve this, but we’re calling on Thames Water to manage the situation, and help get our residents and businesses back into their properties as quickly as possible”.
Fire crews from Dowgate, Euston, Soho and surrounding fire stations attended the scene
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LONDON FIRE BRIGADE
Thames Water’s spokesman said: “Customer representatives and loss adjusters are on their way to the site and will assist customers who have been affected by flooding.
“Once again, we apologise to all of those who have been affected by this burst”.
Bursts like this are relatively rare, and are largely caused by ageing infrastructure and certain weather conditions, which can cause pipes to buckle under pressure.
Further inspections of the pipe later revealed a large split in the main, along with a significant underground void beneath the pipe.
50 people and several dogs were evactuated from their homes
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LONDON FIRE BRIGADE
Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South and Finsbury, described the water company’s services as “appalling”, and said: “Yet again, residents and businesses in our community are left suffering because of Thames Water’s mismanagement.
“I am in urgent contact with Thames Water and am following progress on the repair closely. I expect Thames Water to break their past pattern of behaviour.
“They must look after those that are flooded and those without water, and they must do it properly – mitigating their suffering, acting fast, and communicating properly. My office stands ready to support any residents or businesses impacted”.
