COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

The sinkhole gave way beneath a car on Monday morning



A motorist has spoken of her shock after she found her car had become submerged in a sinkhole.

Agshaniya Ramesh from Coventry said she could not bring herself to look at her car, which she had parked in its usual place overnight, after she heard the news.

The student paramedic said she realised she was not going to get her car back after she saw the damage.

The hole opened up on Sewall Highway on Monday morning after a pipe burst.

West Midlands Police said it was called out to the road just before 04:00 BST.

"Officers attended and closed the road so the car could be recovered and Severn Trent could work on the damage," a spokesman said.

Amy Jones from Severn Trent, apologised to anyone affected by the pipe burst, and said the pipe was one of the firm's larger ones.

The company's priority was to get access to the pipe and start repairs and so a full road closure would be in place.

After the car was towed away, barriers were placed around the hole to allow for repairs to take place.

Road still closed as Severn Trent issues update on sinkhole repair



A Coventry road at the centre of a dramatic incident will remain closed for a while longer as repairs to a burst pipe are ongoing. A sinkhole opened up on Sewall Highway in the early hours of this morning, almost swallowing a car.

The car has been removed and Severn Trent's teams have been on scene since the early hours of this morning, Monday, July 24 dealing with what they've described as a 'complex repair'.

They managed to isolate the main to ensure people's water supply was not affected by the incident. They have previously apologised for the disruption caused.

And in an updated statement issued this afternoon, they've said the teams are continuing to work on the repair and it means the road will remain closed for now. Residents have spoken out about how they were awoken in the early hours of the morning by the incident.

Kevin Hatch, Severn Trent Trunk Mains Team Manager, said: “We apologise for any disruption caused after one of our larger pipes burst on Sewall Highway in Coventry this morning. Our teams managed to isolate the main quickly to ensure everyone’s water supply wasn’t disrupted.

“We now have access to the pipe and our teams are working hard on what will be a complex repair. When the pipe is fixed, we will then focus on repairing the road, and making the area safe again. To keep everyone safe, a road closure will remain in place.

“We’re really sorry to anyone that’s affected by this burst and appreciate everyone's understanding as our teams work – it's our absolute priority to repair the pipe, and return the road back to normal as quickly, and safely as possible.”

Coventry road to shut for days for sinkhole repair as Severn Trent issues update



A road in Wyken will be shut for days as repairs to a sinkhole are carried out after a burst pipe. The sinkhole opened up on Sewall Highway around 4am on Monday (July 25), almost swallowing up a student's car.

Water was seen flowing down the road from the early hours. Technicians from Severn Trent were dispatched to the scene to deal with the 'complex repair' in order to 'isolate the pipe and minimise damage caused'.

The team managed to isolate the main water pipe to ensure residents' water supplies were not affected by the dramatic incident. They have apologised for the inconvenience caused and it has now emerged that the road will remain closed until Friday (July 28).

Local residents spoke out about how they were awoken by the incident in the early hours of Monday. The owner of the car, Agshaniya Ramesh, told CoventryLive how she was left in 'disbelief'.

The student, who had parked in that spot all the time, thinks her car is going to be a 'write-off'. She told CoventryLive: "It is not like it is an odd day that I have parked there. It is always there, and nothing like that has happened ever before. I saw the damage and I thought I am not getting my car back. It is a write-off.

"I am lucky that I am in my online lecture segment because I had to talk to the insurance company. I spent half an hour not attending the lecture and trying to sort the problem but it is still not sorted."

West Midlands Roads have said the Sewall Highway Junction with Blackberry Lane will now be closed until Friday July 28 at least to cover up the sinkhole. Severn Trent Trunk Mains Team Manager, Kevin Hatch, said: "We now have access to the pipe and our teams are working hard on what will be a complex repair. When the pipe is fixed, we will then focus on repairing the road, and making the area safe again. To keep everyone safe, a road closure will remain in place."

Sinkhole fixed and road reopens week after it 'swallowed car'



A huge sinkhole which swallowed a parked car on a Coventry road has now been fixed. It opened up on Sewall Highway on Monday, July 24.

Severn Trent confirmed that the sinkhole opened up after a 'large pipe' burst on the busy road in Wyken. Technicians were dispatched to the scene to deal with the 'complex repair' in order to 'isolate the pipe and minimise damage caused.'

Engineers have spent several days carrying out repairs with the road reopening earlier today (Tuesday, August 1). Severn Trent described the work undertaken as a 'significant repair.

Brothers Tommy and Oliver Roberts watched the incident unfold in the early hours of Monday, July 24. Tommy was awoken after hearing 'noises' and was shocked to see the huge sinkhole only metres away from his home on Sewall Highway.

Speaking to CoventryLive, Tommy said: “I woke up in the middle of the night and I heard noises outside like cars driving over gravel and sirens. I looked out the window and I saw a car in a sinkhole so I woke my brother and my mum and then we heard the water leaking out all down the highway.”

Brother Oliver said: “I could see loads of bits of gravel and stones on the floor. Tommy pointed to the sinkhole and there was a big red car in a massive hole. I am not sure how the hole came up but I think it happened in the middle of the night. Police were there and I heard lots of shouting.”

Student Agshaniya Ramesh previously spoke of the moment she discovered her car was submerged in the sinkhole saying that she was in 'disbelief.' She added that her car was now a 'write-off.'