Cars swallowed by sinkhole in Florence

An underground water mains break along Florence's picturesque Arno River has created a 200-metre-long sinkhole that buried dozens of parked cars.

Cars swallowed by sinkhole in Florence

An underground water mains break along Florence's picturesque Arno River has created a 200-metre-long sinkhole that buried dozens of parked cars.

Firefighters asked residents of nearby palazzi to evacuate voluntarily, as there was no water or lighting in the area.

Hours after the pre-dawn break, authorities were trying to determine on Wednesday whether the weakened asphalt could withstand the weight of a crane to extract the waterlogged cars that fell into the hole.

Mayor Dario Nardella stressed that the underground flooding was the result of a gash in a diameter pipe, one of the major water conduits in the neighbourhood, and not a leak in the banks of the Arno.

The scene is near the famed Ponte Vecchio bridge, a favourite spot for tourists shopping for jewellery.

more courts articles

Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman
Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt Coronation Street actor William Roache (91) given three months to settle tax debt

More in this section

Mike Lynch court case Fallen tech star Mike Lynch painted as fraud mastermind in Hewlett-Packard trial
Fani Willis Trump seeks to appeal against decision not to disqualify DA in Georgia case
Ohio woman given life after child died when she left her alone to go on holiday Ohio woman given life after child died when she left her alone to go on holiday
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited