Welsh village sinkhole still growing as residents face festive gloom

People who have been evacuated from homes perched precariously close to a large and growing sinkhole in south Wales that appeared in the wake of Storm Bert fear they may not return by Christmas.

- Steven Morris

The sinkhole opened up in a cul-de-sac in the village of Pant, Merthyr Tydfil after the collapse of a culvert, a structure that allows water to flow under roads and railways, and led to residents from 29 homes being told to leave.

The hole has continued to expand, with more cracks appearing in the surface of the street, Nant Morlais, in walls and gardens. Merthyr Tydfil county borough council says it hopes people will be allowed back for Christmas, but its engineers have not been able to fully inspect the damage and cannot give a timeline for a return.

The arrival of the sinkhole was heralded by rumblings and bangs heard by three separate households as Storm Bert raged over the weekend of 23 and 24 November, but residents mistook it for thunder.