Stunned bystanders captured the moment a canal boat dropped into a 160ft sinkhole in Shropshire on Monday (22 December). Emergency services declared a major incident after receiving reports of a sinkhole opening up in the early hours of the morning, as millions of gallons of water gushed onto a farmer’s field in the Chemistry area of Whitchurch. Footage filmed moments after the chasm opened shows the boat tipping over the sinkhole’s edge. The hull can be heard cracking before the boat goes under. Two boats were swallowed up by the sinkhole, while two others teetered on either side. Over a dozen boaters had to be rescued following the “embankment failure”. There are no reports of casualties, according to police.
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Holly Bishop | Tuesday 23 December 2025 10:41 GMT
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Stunned bystanders captured the moment a canal boat dropped into a 160ft sinkhole in Shropshire on Monday (22 December).
Emergency services declared a major incident after receiving reports of a sinkhole opening up in the early hours of the morning, as millions of gallons of water gushed onto a farmer’s field in the Chemistry area of Whitchurch.
Watch the moment a pair of boaters raced to safety as a 160ft sinkhole opened up in Shropshire on Monday (22 December). Emergency…
A multi-agency response is under way at the scene in Whitchurch, with the public asked to stay away.
Major incident declared as 50-metre-long breach opens up and discharges water on to surrounding land
A sinkhole in a British canal swallowed several boats, causing more than 10 people to be rescued. There were no injuries reported.
People are being asked to avoid the incident on the Shropshire Union Canal in Chemistry, Shropshire
One couple say they had decorated the boat for Christmas but would now spend it in a hotel.
Sinkhole engulfs boats in a British canal; no injuries reported - UPI.com
