Car swallowed by sinkhole in Perth’s south after burst water main

A sedan has been swallowed by a large sinkhole in the middle of a residential street in Perth’s south following a burst water main.

The vehicle plunged into the hole near the corner of Gateway Boulevard and The Bridgeway in Canning Vale.

Images from a Facebook post of the scene show a silver sedan engulfed in the centre of the road.

A Water Corporation spokesperson told nine.com.au that the car became stuck shortly after 4am on Bridgeway road and the driver was able to safely get out of the trapped vehicle.

“Crews were onsite within 30 minutes and promptly isolated the main, with work underway to remove the vehicle and make repairs,” the spokesperson said.

“Traffic management is in place, and drivers are advised to avoid the area if possible.

“Water supply is affected to around 10 nearby homes, and residents may notice discoloured water as repairs progress.

“We wish to apologise for any disruption caused, and thank residents for their patience as crews work to complete repairs.”

Speaking to ABC Radio Perth, Water Corporation General Manager Paul Prottey described the incident as an "extremely rare occurrence."

“With a network the size that we have across Perth, we get our leaks and bursts, like every other water scheme across the world,” Prottey said.

“But to have a car fall into a hole in the middle of a road is an extremely rare occurrence.”

He added that removing the car was not going to be an easy task given how close the water pipe was to a gas main.

“We’ll check the failure of the pipe once we get [the car] out and see what the cause is, so we can ascertain if that’s going to happen anywhere else and see what we can do to prevent it in the future,” he said.

No injuries were reported, and an ambulance was not called to the scene.

Traffic management remains in place, and drivers have been urged to avoid the area while repair teams secure the site and fix the damaged water main.

Nine.com.au has reached out to WA Police for comment.