by
People have been evacuated from their homes in a flooded neighborhood in London after a water main burst in the early hours of this morning.
Videos shared on social media show water pouring onto a road in Camden, turning it into “a river”.
Footage shows vehicles parked on Belsize Road partially submerged in the murky water, which had also entered ground floor flats and basements.
Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters rushed to the scene to deal with the flooding which affected a number of properties.
The fire department said several homes have been flooded and firefighters had to bring about 20 residents to safety.
London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Andy Williams said from the scene: “There are significant road closures in place and we are asking people to avoid the area where possible.
The water authorities are working to isolate the burst water main, and the fire service is expected to be on the scene for several hours.
“Crews are using flood barriers and a high-volume pumping unit to divert floodwaters.”
Leader of Camden Council, Georgia Gould, said a respite center has been set up for affected residents at Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre.
Thames Water confirmed that local houses in North West London, in postcodes NW2, NW6, NW8 and NW10, may experience no or low water pressure as a result of a mainline break.
The company said in a statement: ‘We apologize if you have been affected by the burst main in NW6.
“We are working with the local emergency services to ensure the safety of all residents as a priority, while our engineers continue to shut off the pipe valves in the surrounding area.
‘If your home has been flooded we are so sorry, we know this must be distressing.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
