Car swallowed by massive hole in London street

A car has fallen down a huge hole in a street in south-east London. The Vauxhall Zafira was left on Woodland Terrace in Charlton by Ghazi Hassan, who was visiting his brother on Wednesday night. He said this "wasn't a good day" but was "thankful" his family were not hurt and no-one else was injured in the incident. There is speculation that the collapse could be due to recent heavy rain.



The blue people carrier was discovered by police outside St Thomas' Church at about 3:20am. Mr Hassan said: "In life you have good days and bad days. This morning wasn't a good day. But I'm thankful me or my family wasn't in the car. I've told the insurance. They are coming to pick it up and repair it so that's the positive side, and that no-one was injured."





Mr Ghazi's brother, Abdul Ahmadzai, said: "I woke up very surprised. The police were here about 4am so I came outside and saw the car - they said it was in a hole. I thought: 'There's nothing I can do' and went back to sleep." Reverend Erica Wooff, the rector of Charlton, who lives next door to the church, said her initial reaction was "Oh my goodness, there's a hole in the road. There was a massive storm last night. It has been raining constantly for the past two days but I didn't hear tarmac rip open," she said.


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Resident Cleo O'Kane, 25, said she heard a loud bang during the night. "It was raining so much I thought it was thunder," she said. "I woke up and then just went back to sleep - my window was open - then woke up at six this morning, came outside and there was a car in a hole. She added: "All the car is resting on apparently is a pipe, otherwise it would have disappeared." The road has been closed near the church due to "subsidence problems". A police spokesman said no-one had been injured and a cordon was in place.