San Francisco, CA
Age-defying pipe explosion creates enormous sinkhole in San Francisco
On a late Sunday night near San Francisco’s bustling Union Street shopping district, a dramatic water main break unfolded, unleashing a torrent of water and mud that surged from a street intersection and inundated the surrounding area.
The unfortunate incident resulted in the flooding of at least one local business, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. As dawn broke on Monday, the aftermath of this calamity became evident with the emergence of a colossal sinkhole at the intersection where Green and Fillmore streets converge, as confirmed by Joseph Sweiss, the spokesperson for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
Watch: Massive sinkhole unleashes chaos in San Francisco after pipe blast
San Francisco shaken by pipe explosion, resulting in a gigantic sinkhole
This startling event transpired at the crossroads of Union and Fillmore streets, occurring just minutes before midnight on Sunday. The source of the disruption was traced back to a 16-inch cast-iron water main, a pipe that had been laid in the ground way back in 1949, as disclosed in a statement issued by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on Monday.
Notably, the impact of the breakage extended beyond the immediate vicinity, affecting another nearby main and compounding the challenges faced by utility workers striving to restore order in the wake of this unexpected catastrophe.