Police have evacuated more than 1,000 people from Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire after the heavy rains led to the partial of collapse of the dam wall at the nearby Toddington reservoir overlooking the town.
Firefighters have been sent from across the UK to help with the evacuation. They have also been assisted by the ambulance service, local councils, emergency planning staff and the Environment Agency.
Derbyshire Police said several measures are being taken to lower water levels and allow repair work to begin safely. The Canal and River Trust, which manages the dam, has installed 16 high-volume pumps to remove water from the reservoir and 400 tonnes of aggregate will be used prevent more from entering.
RAF crews, working alongside structural engineers, used a Chinook helicopter overnight to reinforce the reservoir wall with more than 50 tonnes of aggregate.
Kem Mehmet, assistant chief constable for Derbyshire Police said: “Our message today remains the same – as there is still a risk the dam will fail – please stay away from the area.
“We have evacuated more than 1,000 people from the areas that would be immediately affected by floodwater should the wall fail,” he added.
“We don’t know how long this operation will take to conclude but we and our colleagues in the emergency services, partner agencies, Environment Agency and military are doing everything humanly possible to save the reservoir wall and to protect the town.”
Labour shadow minister for flooding, Luke Pollard, said the incident is a sign of things to come: “The collapse of the Whaley Bridge dam is unprecedented and must act as a wake-up call to the government on the urgency of preparing for the inevitable impacts of climate change.
“This month we are facing the hottest month on record and unprecedented flooding – unequivocal results of global warming.
“Over the past decade, severe weather events have cost on average £1.5 billion per year, yet the Conservatives are not only failing to tackle the causes of climate change, they’re also failing to invest in urgent adaptations for our critical infrastructure.”