‘Frightening’ sinkhole which forced residents from their homes continues to grow

A huge sinkhole which caused homes in south Wales to be evacuated is “frightening”, locals have said as the hole continues to grow.

The collapse of a culvert – a structure that allows water to flow under roads and railways – led to the evacuation of around 30 homes at Nant Morlais in Pant, Merthyr Tydfil, on Sunday.

The pit has continued to expand, with further cracks appearing in the road surface, the local council leader has said.

Speaking to the PA new agency, John Mitchell, 76, whose home sits near the edge of the sinkhole, said: “It is frightening, you don’t know what will happen with the water going under there and washing everything away.

“I came home and the whole of the bit there was barricaded off, and the hole just gradually got worse and worse as it was opening up.

“I couldn’t see down to the bottom, but it was a good depth, it was really quite deep.”

Mr Mitchell and his wife have been put up in a hotel and he said they would have to “wait and see how everything unfolds”, but he hoped his home would be safe.

He said he had been aware of the Morlias stream, which runs under the street and gives it its name, having walked through it as a child.

Brent Carter, the leader of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, said: “It seems to be getting bigger, there’s more cracks coming across the road and into walls and gardens.”

He added: “What appears to be the cause is we had two landslides further up the mountain, which has caused stone to come down and come crashing straight through the culvert and obviously collapse the arch in Nant Morlais.”

While Mr Carter said he hoped residents would be back in their homes by Christmas, he said he could not give a timeline for how long it would take for remediation works to be completed.

Mr Carter said they hope to block off the water and then the culvert could be inspected and remediation work can be completed.

He thanked the residents who have been evacuated for their understanding.

He continued: “Yesterday, we were trying to get people out of their homes and into temporary accommodation – to pack a bag all within 15 minutes’ notice, it’s traumatic, I’ve got every sympathy for them, it’s a terrible time.

“Our team and the officers of the council, as well as external agencies, are moving heaven and earth to ensure everything is put back into place as soon as possible, but obviously safety is paramount.”

Concerns about the culvert have been raised in the past and he said it is inspected every two years to try to ensure something like this does not happen.

He added that more frequent inspections may be considered going forward.