Houseboat swallowed by sinkhole opening on canal

West Midlands, England: A massive sinkhole opened in the Llangollen Canal near Whitchurch, Shropshire, in the early hours of the morning, causing major disruption and prompting evacuations.

The incident occurred at around 4:22 a.m., when a section of the canal bank collapsed, creating a hole approximately 50 meters wide. Four narrowboats were affected, with two sinking into the sinkhole and another left precariously balanced on the edge.

All people on board escaped safely, thanks to the swift response of Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, which assisted more than 10 members of the public to safety.

Much of the canal water drained rapidly into a nearby field through the collapsed bank. Footage circulating online shows one of the boats tipping over the edge and disappearing into the hole.

One of the sunken boats belonged to Bob Wood, 75, who was asleep onboard when the vessel began being pulled toward the crater.

“I woke up to go to the toilet and noticed the boat was listing,” Mr. Wood said. “I opened the back door and saw the water running away from the boat.”

“I jumped onto the back and stepped off just as that part was going down,” he added. “The back went eight feet in the air and I landed on my front.”

After escaping, Mr. Wood ran to alert a neighboring boater, banging on the side of the vessel to wake him.

A spokesperson for the fire and rescue service confirmed: “Three boats were caught in a developing sinkhole measuring approximately 50 meters by 50 meters. Crews assisted more than 10 members of the public to safety.”

West Mercia Police also described the collapse as a sinkhole, although the Canal and River Trust said the exact cause has not yet been determined.

Environmental concerns have been raised due to the sudden loss of water and potential damage to nearby wildlife habitats.

🔴 This is the moment a canal boat plunged into a 160ft-wide hole after the waterway’s embankment collapsed.

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— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 22, 2025