Whaley Bridge dam wall collapse in pictures
- Published

Sandbags are being dropped to shore up the dam
Emergency work is under way to repair the Toddbrook Reservoir dam in Derbyshire after it was damaged by heavy rain.
About 1,500 residents were evacuated from Whaley Bridge on Thursday evening amid fears they were in "mortal danger".
Engineers pumped water out of the reservoir in an attempt to stop up to 300 million gallons of water bursting through the damaged dam.
An RAF Chinook has been flying in repair materials to shore up the dam and has dropped more than 500 tonnes of aggregate.

Efforts are being made to release water from the reservoir while also shoring up the dam

The operation has been going since Thursday

The helicopter has come and gone from the scene

Police, the Environment Agency and the Canal and River Trust have all said there is a "real risk" the dam could collapse

By Saturday morning, sandbags dropped by the helicopter covered most of the collapsed section

Part of the reservoir's spillway broke away on Thursday

Engineers feared Whaley Bridge could be swamped if the Toddbrook Reservoir burst

Heavy rain caused damage to the dam

Most of the residents of Whaley Bridge were evacuated on Thursday

Residents were asked to gather in the neighbouring town of Chapel-en-le-Frith

The dam was built in 1831

Teams have been working non-stop to try to stop the dam from bursting

Whaley Bridge town centre was said to be like a ghost town after residents and business people left

The water level has now been reduced significantly

Engineers have built two roads to allow pumps to be moved closer to the site

About 20 residents remain in properties despite warnings they are at risk

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- Published2 August 2019
- Published1 August 2019