A giant sinkhole has opened up on the streets of New York, forming a cavity big enough to swallow a car.
The sinkhole emerged on a busy Brooklyn intersection on Tuesday morning New York time, bringing peak-hour traffic to a halt.
#HappeningNow: ongoing #FDNY operations at sinkhole at 5th Ave & 64 St in #Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/jFp2NjxkFC— FDNY (@FDNY)
August 4, 2015
There were no injuries reported.
CBSNewYork reported that the cause is "likely a leak in a 48-inch (1.2 metre) cast iron water main".
"It appears to be some sort of water leak that undermined the road, washed away the earth and that's why the street gave way," said Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) Deputy Chief Peter Leicht, according to CBSNewYork.
NBC News reported the sinkhole occurred after severe storms passed through the area although it was unclear if the weather contributed to the hole's formation under the street.
The incident has delayed service on a subway line.
New York City suffers from ageing infrastructure, some of which dates back a century. The city's 10,000 kilometres of gas main pipes, for example, are on average, 56 years old.
To much fanfare, New York's governor last month announced a long-awaited refurbishment to La Guardia Airport. Last year, US Vice-President Joe Biden described La Guardia Airport as worthy of a "Third World" country.
Fairfax Media
