A large portion of a busy street in Ottawa, Canada suddenly collapsed on Wednesday, June 8, creating a massive sinkhole and damaging gas and water lines in the area.
The sinkhole reportedly started to form near Canada's Parliament buildings in downtown Ottawa at around 10:30 in the morning and it eventually grew to include a large section of Rideau Street.
City workers were constructing a tunnel for a new underground railway system below Rideau Street, but according to Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, it is still unclear whether the ongoing project had something to do with the appearance of the sinkhole.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries or deaths related to the street's collapse, though some of the nearby establishments, including a hotel, retail stores, offices, convention center and shopping center, had to be evacuated.
Rideau Street had been closed off to most forms of traffic except for a few taxis, buses and pedestrians at the time of the street's collapse because of the construction of the railway tunnel and the ongoing renovation work at the Rideau Centre shopping mall.
The sinkhole has caused some water, gas and electrical services in downtown Ottawa to be temporarily cut off, and roadblocks had been set up as well in different parts of the city.
City officials are scrambling to figure out the best way to handle the massive sinkhole that is now causing a major disruption in one of Ottawa's primary streets.
"All hands are on deck to make sure the site is secured and no harm is done to any individual," Watson told reporters on Wednesday.
While officials are still trying to determine the exact cause of the street's collapse, they are taking all necessary precautionary measures in inspecting the sinkhole and assessing the potential damages it has caused on nearby structures.
Watson said they are planning to use a special type of concrete to help stabilize the sinkhole but that it might take some. He added that people should be prepared for some delays.
In 2014, a smaller sinkhole appeared at an area east of the city. It was said to have been caused by a failure in a water line.
Unstable Soil
The city of Ottawa is largely built on an unstable type of soil called Leda clay, or quick clay, which is known for its tendency to collapse.
A similar event occurred in 2010 when a massive sinkhole suddenly appeared in northeast of Montreal, swallowing an entire house and killing four people. Investigators believe the event was caused by a collapse of the Leda clay supporting the building.
