A sinkhole has opened up on a high street in a leafy Surrey village sparking fears among residents.
The hole appeared late on Monday in Godstone, growing to 60ft in size by Tuesday afternoon.
Residents have been evacuated from the area by police due to initial fears of gas explosion.
Sutton and East Surrey Water (SES Water) have launched an investigation into the incident, with initial theories pointing towards a burst water main as the cause of the sinkhole.
A massive 60ft sinkhole opens up in leafy Surrey village
PA
Surrey County Council have declared the sinkhole a major incident and told residents to avoid the high street till further notice.
Emergency teams are already working to deal with the sinkhole and return residents to their homes.
SES Water said: “Our teams are on site to carry out urgent repair work. A road closure is in place to ensure the safety of our teams on site.
“We’re really sorry for the disruption this is causing and are doing all we can to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Sinkhole on Godstone high street
PA
SES Water continued: “The road has been closed and our teams are on site, together with emergency services and other utility providers, working hard to fix this as quickly as possible.
“A diversion route is in place and we are required to redirect traffic onto a like-for-like A-road to ensure the safety of motorists during the repair process.
“Unfortunately, the burst has impacted water supplies to homes in the area and we’re sorry for the disruption this is causing customers.
“We’re working hard to reroute water from across our network to restore supply for those customers.”
Speaking to the BBC, residents spoke of the chaos that has descended upon the village.
Rez Mira and his family had to leave their home on Tuesday due to growing concerns about the sinkhole.
Mira told the BBC: “We’re just terrified. We have to figure out where to live now.
“Next week school is going back and we have to find somewhere close by.”
Robin Sherry was also evacuated from the area yesterday and was told by police “to get out as quick as possible” due to concerns about electrical cables exposed by the sinkhole.
Nicola and Damian Styles were informed by police on Tuesday that they must evacuate their home due to fears of a gas explosion.
Speaking to the Independent, Nicola Styles said: “We just sort of grabbed everything, the clothes on our back and our work laptops, and drove out quickly.”
Residents await further information as utility companies labour to fix the hole at the scene.
