Major incident declared as sinkhole drains canal and swallows narrowboats in Shropshire

A major incident had been declared in Shropshire after a sinkhole breached a canal in the Chemistry area of Whitchurch.

Fire Control received reports at 4.22am that a canal bank had collapsed with large volumes of water escaping into the surrounding land.

Firefighters had to use barge boards and water gates to mitigate water flow to establish upstream and downstream safety sectors.

Three narrowboats have been affected by the incident, with at least two swallowed by the sinkhole, which is approximately 50m by 50m in size.

There are currently no reports of any casualties, but around a dozen residents have been evacuated from nearby moored boats and are being relocated to a welfare centre at the former Whitchurch Police Station.

An area of land next to the canal has been flooded as a result of the breach.

Emergency services are currently on the scene, and a multi-agency response has been set up, co-ordinated through the Shropshire Tactical Co-ordination Group (TCG).

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said on X: "Shropshire FRS is responding to a landslip affecting the canal in the Whitchurch area.

"For everyone's safety, members of the public are kindly asked to remain away from the affected area, including Whitchurch Marina, while crews and partners manage the incident."

(c) Sky News 2025: Major incident declared as sinkhole drains canal and swallows narrowboats in Shropshire