A major incident has been declared in Whitchurch, Shropshire, after a large sinkhole opened along the Shropshire Union Canal, forcing the closure of the waterway and nearby towpaths while engineers assess the damage.
The collapse, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, led to a rapid loss of water from the canal into surrounding land and left several narrowboats stranded or partially submerged. Emergency services were deployed to secure the area and assist residents living on board vessels near the breach.
