London Flooding: Burst Pipe Devastates Businesses
North London business owners have been left 'devastated' after a burst water main on Caledonian Road in Islington unleashed waves of murky brown floodwaters yesterday afternoon, destroying stock and causing millions of pounds in damages.
Waves of murky brown water flowed along Caledonian Road in Islington after a nearby water main burst yesterday afternoon. Dramatic images show the water rushing down the road at high speed, reaching up to three feet in just minutes. The rapid onset of the floodwaters gave shopkeepers no time to save their stock.
Devastating Impact on Local Businesses
Ali Ahmed, who owns Alibaba convenience store, told Metro that the insurance bills could rack up into 'the millions.' He said: ‘We have lost so much stock, it’s devastating. My basement is still being pumped out. So much stock has been damaged. The water came so quickly, there was no time to act; it was very frightening. It was very fierce. Now I am counting the cost.’
Nearby, the Nisa Local was also severely affected, with the shop becoming a scene of total carnage. Boxes of stock were still floating in the basement on Wednesday, with shop workers not expecting to be open again until at least the weekend.
Staff member Nim Patel told Metro: ‘It was crazy. My boss’s car was floating; the water came so quickly. The clear-up is a nightmare, and we have lost a lot of costly stock.’ Zackaria from Zac’s Tailoring added: ‘It’s like a river running through; there is two metres of water currently in my shop. My business is gone, I have been here for 17 years.’
Thames Water Responds to Major Burst
Thames Water teams are still at the scene of the chaos, which was caused when a 30-inch water main burst. Part of Caledonian Road remains closed as the massive clean-up operation continues. Residents living above the affected shops have also felt the impact.
A mother-of-two, who lives above one of the shops, told Metro: ‘It’s a nightmare; we have no electricity as it’s been turned off over safety concerns. Because we live above street level, we weren’t flooded, but the mayhem has had a severe impact. It was frightening for the kids, and we were stuck inside for hours.’ The road is still covered in brown sludge, and many basements are under several feet of water.
Council Calls for Swift Action
Thames Water stated that it is doing everything possible to fix the problem and has apologised to businesses and residents. One architect, who declined to give his name, told Metro: ‘Some of our drawings have been water damaged, but we got away relatively lightly. We have no power, though, and it’s obviously been an upheaval. The businesses opposite were badly hit, and I feel very sorry for them.’
Cllr Una O’Halloran, Leader of Islington Council, expressed her concern: ‘My heart goes out to the residents, businesses, and organisations that have been impacted by this afternoon’s flooding on Caledonian Road. We’re working with the emergency services to support those that are affected and to ensure that those who have had to evacuate can return home as quickly as possible. Local people simply shouldn’t have to face this level of disruption – we’re doing all we can to resolve this, but we’re calling on Thames Water to manage the situation and help get our residents and businesses back into their properties as quickly as possible.’
A spokesperson for Thames Water said: ‘Our teams worked overnight and made good progress with the excavation to reach the damaged pipe. A large split has now been identified, along with a significant underground void. Due to health and safety considerations, work has been temporarily paused while a full on-site assessment is carried out this morning. We will continue to do everything we can to resolve the issue as quickly and safely as possible. We understand how disruptive this situation is and sincerely appreciate your patience.’