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Dam Breach Drains Llangollen Canal Near Whitchurch, Leaving Boats Stranded

Investigators are assessing the embankment breach with repairs expected to take months.

Overview

  • Emergency services evacuated about 10–15 people after the pre-dawn collapse around 4:20 a.m., and police reported no injuries.
  • Water rushed into nearby fields within minutes, carving a crater several metres deep and roughly 50 metres across.
  • About 50 firefighters drained sections of the canal and installed a flood gate to stop further water loss.
  • Canal & River Trust classified the incident as a dam breach on a more than 200-year-old embankment, with several boats damaged or swept onto a field.
  • Safety cordons and inspections continue, some vessels have been recovered or remain stranded, and displaced residents were temporarily rehoused.