Massive sinkhole shuts down Rideau Street in downtown Ottawa
A massive sinkhole has formed next to a shopping mall in downtown Ottawa, causing a gas leak and forcing the evacuation of all nearby businesses.
The sinkhole appeared at about 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday near the corner of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive at a light rail construction site. It’s about two blocks east of the Château Laurier hotel.
Soon after forming the sinkhole spread across the entirety of Rideau Street, stretching from the south sidewalk to the north sidewalk.
A large volume of water could be seen gushing inside the sinkhole due to a watermain break, but the water was soon shut off.
Rideau Street sinkhole: What you need to know to navigate Ottawa’s core
City manager Steve Kanellakos convened an emergency meeting of key officials, including the city councillor for the area, Mathieu Fleury.
“We’re making sure that public safety is our key factor here … We recommend for people to stay outside of the area until further notice,” Fleury said.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/sinkhole-rideau-street-downtown-ottawa-1.3621949