Trucks fall into sinkholes at Narrabeen, Double Bay
Sydney Water has apologised to locals after a garbage truck was swallowed by a sinkhole in Narrabeen, the second incident in as many days after a repair truck was stuck in a Double Bay sinkhole on Tuesday.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A crane has removed a truck swallowed by the second sinkhole in as many days, as Sydney Water has apologised for the incident.
Police were called to Oak St, Narrabeen, at 6am on Wednesday after a truck sank into the road just behind the Narrabeen Sports High School.
A crane had to be called to fish the garbage truck out of the hole after a tow truck was unsuccessful.
Eight hours after police were first called to the scene Namona St, Narrabeen is still closed between Pittwater Rd and Oak St.
Sydney Water confirmed water has been restored to the affected properties nearby, and work is currently underway to repair the road.
Sydney Water has blamed recently rainfall for the ‘uncommon’ double sinkholes.
“Sydney Water sincerely apologises to affected customers and motorists,” a spokesperson for Sydney Water said.
“Periods of heavy rain like we’ve experienced are known to cause soil moisture leading to pipe and joint movement, resulting in water main breaks and leaks,” the spokesperson said.
Sydney Water provided a tanker to supply the nearby primary school with water.
It comes after a truck sent to fix a burst water main at Double Bay on Tuesday was swallowed in a sinkhole caused by the fast flowing water.
The water main burst at about 3.30am on Tuesday on Bay Street in the affluent eastern Sydney suburb, prompting Sydney Water to urgently dispatch crews to halt the leak.
But when a small tip truck carrying an excavator arrived on the scene the front wheels fell through the roadway.
A Sydney Water spokesman said it appeared the Double Bay sinkhole had been caused by the burst water main.
“Sydney Water Customer Advocates are on site to assist affected customers,” the spokesman told The Daily Telegraph.
“A tanker is also supplying water critical customers. Sydney Water sincerely apologises to affected customers and motorists.”
It’s too early to determine the cause of the water main break, the spokesman said, but damage to the road would take days to repair.
Two heavy-lift tow trucks pulled the smaller truck free at about 10:30am on Tuesday but water continued to flow out from underneath.
The truck appeared largely undamaged – except for a burst tyre.