Stranded Londoners are being rescued by firefighters as major flooding takes hold of parts of Hackney.
A burst water main has completely flooded an underground car park on Lea Bridge Road.
Firefighters have used an inflatable boat to rescue a man from a flat and a woman from a shop.
Crews are using pumps to remove as much water as possible.
Station Manager Jason Frisby said: “Firefighters are working hard to reduce the impact of the burst water main on local homes and commercial properties.
“In conjunction with Thames Water and the Environment Agency the clean water is being diverted into the River Lea. We’d ask people to avoid Lea Bridge Road and surrounding area where possible.”
Four fire engines from Homerton and Stoke Newington fire stations are at the scene. Two fire rescue units from Bethnal Green and Euston are also at the scene. Around 40 firefighters are in attendance.
The Brigade was called at 8.49am.
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If you need bottled water
Bottled water is available on the corner of Lea Bridge Road and Hillstowe Street. Water pressure is likely to be low in the area so it’s worth stocking up if you are affected.
Thames Water statement
Thames Water have said in a series of Tweets: “We’re really sorry for the disruption caused by our burst pipe affecting the area around Lea Bridge Road.
“Our specialist team of customer reps, ambassadors and loss adjusters are in the area to support our customers at what we know will be a difficult time for those affected by the flooding.
“Our engineers have been working hard since the early hours to stop the water flowing from the pipe. In the meantime we’re extremely grateful for efforts of the fire service to help pump water away from properties We’ll provide a further update as soon as we have more info.”
