Officials: Fix to massive Philly sinkhole could take days

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Water Department says it could take days to fix a sewer pipe and water main that led to a sinkhole that was large enough to swallow two cars in the city’s Fishtown section.

A 30 foot-by-10-foot hole that was 5 feet deep developed after a six-inch water main broke sometime between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday. The hole on East Boston Street is now a 70-foot-long gash as workers access the lines that must be repaired.

Twenty homes on the block are without water and natural gas service to six residences has been shut off as a precaution. Water department spokesman John DiGiulio says the gas service can’t be safely restored until the water and sewer line problems are fixed, and that could take several days.