Burst Wednesbury water main turns street into river
- Published
The burst main left cars submerged in the street
One woman has been rescued from a house and cars have been left submerged after a water pipe burst.
Power engineers damaged the pipe while installing new electricity cables in Leabrook Road, in Wednesbury, Sandwell.
A sub-station is also at risk of being flooded, and three schools and a Metro car park have been forced to close.
The water is 3m (9.8ft) deep in places after the pipe burst at about 10:30 BST. Engineers and emergency services are in attendance.
The pipe was damaged by workers installing power cables
Floods in Wednesbury were up to 3m deep
South Staffordshire Water said its engineers were working to isolate the damage to the 20in underground pipe.
It said no customers should be without water, but some may be experiencing discolouration.
Pupils at Old Park Primary School, St Mary's and Ocker Hill Primary have been sent home for the day due to lack of water on site.
Western Power Distribution, which damaged the main, said it had isolated the power supply at the local sub-station "at the request of the fire service".
It added that 12 properties in the area are without power.
One man was treated for a wrist injury after falling down a hole, the fire service said.
The nearby Metro car park has been forced to close
Firefighters and ambulance crews have been sent to the scene
About 30 firefighters are at the scene, including water rescue teams, as well as police and paramedics.
An estimated 16 vehicles have been submerged in the flood, and fire crews have started work to remove the water using a high volume pump which is removing 4,000 litres per minute into the nearby canal.
Sandwell Council has also set up a rest centre for affected residents as a precaution and sent social workers and housing officers to offer support.
Flood waters have spread as far as Black Country New Road, which is also closed
West Midlands Fire Service said some houses and industrial premises were affected