A burst water main in Kingswood, Bristol, has left thousands of homes without water and forced the evacuation of 20 properties. The incident occurred on Fisher Road at approximately 17:00 BST, causing significant flooding in the area.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service used an inflatable dinghy to rescue 19 people and six dogs from the affected homes. Residents from the 20 directly flooded properties are being accommodated overnight at a church hall rest centre.
Areas impacted by the water supply disruption include Kingswood, Pucklechurch, Mangotsfield, Oldland Common, Longwell Green, Barrs Court, Keynsham, Stockwood, and Whitchurch. Bristol Water has deployed water tankers and bowsers to provide alternative supplies while engineers work on repairs.
Paul Kelson of Bristol Water confirmed that 'many thousands of properties' have been affected. While some supplies have been restored, a full repair is pending the isolation of other damaged utilities. The British Red Cross is providing support to those affected.
