What started as a quiet early Sunday morning in South London turned into a major emergency as a burst water pipe unleashed chaos—flooding roads, damaging homes, and opening up a sinkhole right in the middle of a busy street.
The flooding hit Kings Avenue, just a short walk from Clapham Common, and forced fire crews, engineers, and Thames Water teams into swift action.
And while the immediate water flow is now under control, the aftermath is proving to be far more disruptive than anyone expected.
Sinkhole Forces Street Closures and Travel Disruption
Thames Water sent in a team of “specialists” to deal with the mess, but the damage is severe enough that road repairs may take up to two weeks. Kings Avenue is now completely shut to cars, cyclists, and even pedestrians.
Labour’s Brixton Acre Lane team posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Clarence Avenue would soon be added to the growing list of diversion routes.
They’re hopeful that Bedford Road might reopen tomorrow—if the current hole gets filled today—but the larger repair works could drag on for another fortnight.
Thames Water has reportedly been granted permission to continue works overnight to speed up the process.
MP Steps In as Local Frustration Grows
Clapham and Brixton MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has stepped in, pledging to keep the pressure on Thames Water.
She’s warning locals to brace for more delays, especially when it comes to public transport.
And she’s not wrong—several major London bus routes have already been thrown into disarray.
Buses Take the Long Way Around
Transport for London confirmed that multiple key routes are being diverted away from the affected area. That includes:
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Routes 137, 417, and N137 – Now travelling both directions via Clapham Common South Side, Cavendish Road, and Poynders Road.
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Route 355 – Diverted through Streatham Place and Brixton Hill, missing all stops on Kings Avenue and Acre Lane.
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Route P5 – Rerouted via Brixton Road and Stockwell Road, bypassing usual stops on Acre Lane, Bedford Road, and Clapham Road.
That means longer commutes and missed stops for thousands of people travelling through South London.
Thames Water Issues Apology and Timeline
In a statement today, a Thames Water spokesperson said the team had managed to stop the flow of water from the burst pipe, but warned that the job is far from over.
“We’re currently dealing with a burst pipe which caused a large amount of flooding to the area,” they explained.
“Due to the size of the pipe and its location, this is going to be a difficult repair.”
The water company has placed temporary traffic lights at the site and promised further investigations before digging down to the damaged section of pipe.
They added: “We’re sorry for the impact this may have on traffic in the area and any delays to your journey.”
Firefighters Called to Protect Homes
The London Fire Brigade confirmed they were called at 1:03 a.m. on Monday morning.
When they arrived, they found more than 200mm of surface water flooding and a visible sinkhole forming in the road.
Firefighters quickly deployed sandbags to protect nearby properties from further damage.
After containing the situation, they handed the site over to Thames Water and the Metropolitan Police.
Water Supply Returns, But the Mess Remains
Bell Ribeiro-Addy confirmed that water supplies have now been restored to residents in the area.
Still, the physical damage left behind will take weeks to undo.
The cratered road, scattered debris, and public transport chaos serve as a reminder of how fragile urban infrastructure can be when extreme weather or underground issues hit unexpectedly.
MailOnline has contacted Lambeth Council for more updates as residents wait to see how quickly life on Kings Avenue can return to normal.
