Firefighters helped five people out of the pub after a burst water main flood, which has affected up to 650 households locally
Five people had to be evacuated from an East London pub after a burst water main flooded the area. Firefighters rushed to the Lord Morpeth pub, on Old Ford Road, in Bow at around 10.30pm last night (Wednesday, July 8). Five people were assisted by firefighters from the pub, and up to 650 households were affected by a loss of power, water or gas overnight.
The Brigade worked alongside Thames Water and Tower Hamlets Council to set up a rest centre for affected residents. The area along the road was flooded, with water reaching a depth of 1m and cars becoming submerged.
Thames Water posted an update on its website as another pipe also burst on Grove Road. They wrote: “We’re sorry to customers in the Grove Road & Old Ford Road area who have been affected by a burst water main overnight.
“Our teams on site have stopped the flooding and are working to put things right. Your water supply should now have returned; the pressure may be lower than normal, but this will improve as it builds in the pipe.
“Unfortunately, we’re likely to be in the area for some time as we need to fix the broken pipe and make good any damage caused by the flooding. We’ll be working around the clock to fix things, and apologise in advance for any disruption caused.
“To keep everyone safe, we’ve had to close the road and parts of the footpath. If you’re travelling in the area, please allow additional time for any journey as traffic diversions are in place.”
Firefighters used sandbags and flood barriers to help divert some of the water away from homes throughout the night. The next update is expected this evening (July 9).
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to customers in the Grove Road and Old Ford Road area affected by a burst water main overnight. Our engineers have stopped the flooding, and water supplies have now returned. Some customers may continue to experience lower water pressure while the network recovers. Our customer teams will also be in the area to support those affected by the flooding. Our engineers will work as quickly as possible to repair the damaged pipe and address any damage caused by the flooding.”
Keep up with the latest East London news. Sign up to our MyEastLondon newsletter HERE for daily updates and more.
