Dad claims he cheated death by 'three seconds' from 70ft deep sinkhole

Terrified homeowner says he cheated death by ‘three seconds’ after 70ft-deep SINKHOLE opened up outside his front door just moments after he walked up garden path

• Harri Chadha claims he cheated death after 70ft-deep sinkhole appeared  
• It formed outside his home in Halesowen, West Midlands on November, 20
• He said: ‘Literally three to five seconds earlier and I would have been a goner’ 
• Since the collapse, eight families have been given financial assistance

A terrified father claims he cheated death by ‘three seconds’ after a 70ft-deep sinkhole appeared outside his front door.  

Dramatic pictures show how the 15ft-wide hole swallowed up Harri Chadha’s garden path and front garden outside his home in Halesowen, West Midlands.

Mr Chadha claims he would have been a goner after a giant cavern opened up where he had been standing moments earlier.

The fashion photographer said: ‘I must have done something good somewhere because I really should be dead.

Pictures show how a 70-ft deep and 15ft-wide hole swallowed up Harri Chadha’s garden path and front garden outside his home in Halesowen, West Midlands

Emergency services taped up Mr Chada’s front garden after the sink hole swallowed up his front porch and path at his home at Haden Arch Court

‘I had just been standing on the path after closing my front door moments before the earth collapsed in on itself.

‘Literally three to five seconds earlier and I would have been a goner for certain.

‘The sinkhole was 70ft deep, I don’t think they would have ever found my body.

‘What scared me was the gas gushing out of the hole, but initially I was still told it was OK to stay there that night.’

Mr Chadha moved into his leasehold property 13 years ago and is now in temporary rented accommodation after being told it could ‘take months’ to make his home safe.

The sinkhole is thought to have been caused by underground sewage pipes collapsing as a result of building work being done above ground

Mr Chada wasn’t allowed back into his home to collect any belongings but his home was broken into to save his cat from the wreckage inside his garden

Enormous 100ft-wide ‘Gate to Hell’ sinkhole opens up near Russian ski resort at ‘sanctioned mine linked to Roman Abramovich’ 

An enormous 100ft-wide ‘Gate to Hell’ sinkhole has opened at the Sheregesh mine in Siberia’s Kemerovo region

He added: ‘I’ve had to move into a rented property because my son told me this is going to take months to sort out.

‘I have not even been allowed to go back and collect any essentials, the flat had to be broken into to save our cat, I never thought I’d see it again.

‘The other residents have been so kind to me, far more than the management company have been. They haven’t even asked me how I’m doing.’

The sinkhole is thought to have been caused by underground sewage pipes collapsing as a result of building work being done above ground.

Gas pipes were smashed in the collapse, leading firefighters to order an immediate evacuation.

He and seven other residents were ordered out of their homes after the sinkhole emerged at Haden Arch Court on November 20.

Severn Trent Water blame the sinkhole on building work being carried out without planning permission.

Eight residents have not been allowed back to their properties, which are managed by Remus, since the sinkhole appeared on November 20. 

The hole is being filled in with another hole dug to collect water which is being pumped into a nearby river

Mr Chadha moved into his leasehold property 13 years ago and is now in temporary rented accommodation after being told it could ‘take months’ to make his home safe again as it is still boarded up 

Gas and water companies are desperately trying to make the area safe to allow people back into their boarded up homes

Man is killed after being sucked into a sinkhole that emerged under a swimming pool in Israel 

Emergency services equipped with Go-Pro cameras erected a structure to prevent the rest of the pool collapsing and carried out a four-hour rescue operation before finding the body

The hole is being filled in with another hole dug to collect water which is being pumped into a nearby river.

Meanwhile gas and water companies are desperately trying to make the area safe to allow people back in their homes.

Another resident, who only gave his name as Geoff, said: ‘I’ve been forced to sleep on a friend’s sofa for more than a month.

‘It’s a nightmare because I wasn’t even allowed back home to pick up any of my things.

‘I don’t think the place will ever be safe and I just worry about my home being swallowed up.

‘There’s no chance of ever being able to sell the place either.’

Residents were initially allowed to stay in their homes after the sinkhole first emerged on November 20.

The next day West Midlands Fire Service and gas officials inspected the site and ordered an immediate evacuation.

Since the collapse, eight families have been given financial assistance by Severn Trent – who have not accepted liability – with four still being supported.

A spokesman for Severn Trent said: ‘The sinkhole has appeared due to a damaged sewer pipe, which was built over without the correct build over agreement, meaning the foundations of the building are very close to the pipe.

Residents were allowed to stay home on the day the sink hole first appeared but was asked to leave the next day after West Midlands Fire Service and gas officials inspected the site and ordered an immediate evacuation

Eight residents have not been allowed back to their properties, which are managed by Remus, since the sinkhole appeared on November 20. Since the collapse, eight families have been given financial assistance by Severn Trent – who have not accepted liability – with four still being supported

‘This means it will be a complicated and complex repair with access issues, and will take time to complete.

‘Severn Trent has stepped in to support the residents of Haden Arch since the end of November.

‘Despite Severn Trent not being at fault, and as a gesture of goodwill, we have provided alternative accommodation for some of the residents, as this is clearly a distressing time for everyone, especially over the holidays.’

Source: Read Full Article