Dozens evacuated after burst water main floods Islington streets
About 30 residents were forced to move from their properties in Islington on Sunday evening after 40cm of water flooded residential streets.
Footage posted online shows the extent of the 'protracted' flooding, which required 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters to attend from the London Fire Brigade (LFB).
Emergency services received more than 23 calls about the incident shortly after 10pm on Sunday night, the brigade said.
Fire crews from Islington, Holloway, Stoke Newington and Euston were at the scene alongside representatives from Thames Water, Islington council and the Metropolitan Police.
An LFB spokesman said: 'Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters are dealing with flooding in the area around Canonbury Street in Islington.
'A 36-inch burst water main has caused flooding up to a depth of around 40cm of water. This has affected properties on Canonbury Street, Essex Road, Elmore Street, Halliford Street and Ecclesbourne Road.
'Around 30 residents have been evacuated from their homes as crews work alongside Thames Water, the local council, and the Metropolitan Police Service to support affected people and make the scene safe.
'This is expected to be a protracted incident, with disruption likely to continue into the morning. The public are being urged to avoid the area and not to attempt to drive through flood water.'
A Thames Water spokesman said: 'We're aware of a burst water main on Essex Road – Canonbury Street, N1, and our engineers are already on site investigating.'
Crisis at Thames Water
The evacuation comes after David Black, the chief executive of Ofwat, resigned from his post just weeks after the Government called for the beleaguered water regulator to be scrapped.
His planned departure followed a review published last month by Sir Jon Cunliffe, which called for the water regulator to be abolished.
In a damning assessment of Ofwat, the former deputy governor of the Bank of England criticised the 'deep-rooted, systemic' problems in the water sector, which have led to worsening pollution.
It added that Ofwat had failed to prevent businesses in the water industry from 'making imprudent financial decisions'.
This culminated in the crisis at Thames Water, which is facing the threat of nationalisation after failing to tackle a £17bn debt pile.
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