Sinkhole swallows up vehicle in Thompson over the long weekend

Work to fix a sinkhole that nearly swallowed up a vehicle and their driver in Thompson, Man., this weekend is set to start Tuesday, city officials said.

Firefighters in the northern Manitoba community about 650 kilometres from Winnipeg responded to a report about a vehicle being submerged on Elm Street Sunday evening.

Photos posted on social media by the Thompson Professional Firefighters Association show a vehicle sunk about a third of the way into a pool of water in the residential street.

The association said the driver of the vehicle was able to get out without sustaining any injuries.

City officials said Monday the cause of the sinkhole was a break in an underground water pipe that began Thursday.

Ian Graham, communications officer with the City of Thompson, said Monday the area was barricaded when the issue was discovered.

He said crews were not on duty to dig it up and make the necessary repairs because of the long weekend.

"Obviously at this … time of year when snow has recently melted, there are a lot of potholes around and Public Works is in the process of, you know, repairing those areas," Graham said.

Graham said crews are planning to excavate and make repairs starting Tuesday morning. Residents of the area have been notified their water will be shut down while that's taking place.

The firefighters association warned city residents in its social media post to avoid Elm Street until the city can perform the repairs, as the structural integrity of the rest of the road remains uncertain.