On the early morning of December 22, more than a dozen narrow barges were left high and dry on the Shropshire Union Canal Llangollen Branch near Whitchurch, England. The barges had been moored along the canal when part of the canal embankment failed causing an 50 meter by 50 meter sink hole to open up. Water in this section of the canal poured out pulling 2 narrowboats into the sinkhole. Several more barges were more fortunate and were left resting on the bottom of the canal. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported. Those who were living aboard the barges had heard strange noises and had evacuated their vessels beforehand.
Local authorities and firefighters arrived on scene and secured the location. Firefighters placed a flood gate to stem off the flow water from the compromised section of the canal.
List of some of the narrowboats impacted from the incident:
- Sefton
- Pacemaker
- This is the Way
- The Singing Kettle
Reports state this portion of the canal embankment had been built over 200 years ago and had been recently been inspected. These canals limited barges to the be no longer than 72 feet long and 7 feet wide.
Reports state authorities plan to return water levels to normal either side of the breach. The narrowboats in the impacted area would be provided support. Damage to the vessels was not disclosed.
