20m sinkhole opens in UK housing estate
A giant sinkhole that opened up in a residential street in the UK, forcing the evacuation of 20 people, first appeared a week ago and injured a postman working on the street, Royal Mail said.
The 20m crater spreads across the driveway and front garden of a property on Fontmell Close in St Albans and is 10m deep.
Twenty people from five homes were evacuated to Batchwood Leisure Centre shortly after 3am.
Royal Mail said the hazard first appeared on 23 September when a postman injured himself on a drain cover which gave way.
Hertfordshire County Council inspected the footpath but concluded there was "no reason to suspect that the hole would collapse".
Royal Mail spokeswoman Sally Hopkins said: "Royal Mail can confirm that one of our postmen was delivering in Fontmell Close last week when a drain cover gave way.
"We're happy to say that the postman was not seriously injured and we reported this incident to the council."
More than 50 properties are without gas and electricity, according to a fire service spokeswoman.
Hertfordshire County Council said: "We were informed about a hole in the footpath last week, it was inspected and barriers put around it on Wednesday 23 and work was scheduled to fill it in this morning.
"Following our inspection, there was no reason to suspect that the hole would collapse.
"Holes of this kind crop up across Hertfordshire often for historic reasons and we'd like to reassure the public that it is rare for them to turn into large holes."
The return to normal is likely to take weeks, the statement added.