English town evacuated due to collapse of dam
Residents of Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire have been told to evacuate the town.
Parts of the wall of the Toddbrook Reservoir dam in Derbyshire have collapsed following heavy rainfall, leading police to tell 6,500 residents of the town of Whaley Bridge to gather at a local school, from where they will be evacuated.
Police said that it was currently unclear how long the evacuation would last.
A severe flood warning, which means that there is a threat to life, has been issued for the River Goyt, below the reservoir.
The warning, which was issued at 2pm on Thursday, urges people in affected areas to call 999 if they believe they are in immediate danger.
The warning also urges people to be aware of their surroundings, to keep up to date with the current situation and to avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses.
According to the BBC, some local pubs and community halls have offered to take in evacuees.
A number of images and videos of the dam collapsing were shared on social media.
A dam wall at the 19th-century Toddbrook Reservoir in Derbyshire has collapsed, after days of heavy rain which caused flooding across northern England.
To read more about the latest UK flood warnings, click here: https://t.co/1W4FwdlbXO pic.twitter.com/JWBP1n2ZVI— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 1, 2019
