A significant water main break in West Hollywood on Tuesday caused a large sinkhole to open and sent a powerful torrent of water through the streets, resulting in at least two individuals falling into the sinkhole and a woman being temporarily swept away by the floodwaters.
The incident occurred near Palm Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, where underground erosion, potentially caused by the leaking water main, led to the collapse of a section of the sidewalk. Video footage from the scene captured the moment two men walking on the sidewalk suddenly fell into the large sinkhole as the concrete gave way beneath them.
Witnesses described the suddenness of the collapse, with one telling KTLA that the men "just fell right into the hole. All of the concrete just fell right in."
During the same event, the force of the rushing water temporarily swept a woman away as she attempted to reach the sidewalk. Authorities stated that while the two men appeared to be unharmed, there was no immediate official confirmation of any injuries.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Aaron Katon urged residents to avoid the area while crews assessed the extent of the damage and worked to determine if the water main break had caused further underground instability. "The leak is shut off, and that’s great. That’s fantastic progress," Katon said. "There’s a lot more work to do. That doesn’t mean that it’s safe to go out walking down the sidewalk, as we saw, or certainly driving down the street."
Crews have since shut off the leaking water main. However, officials cautioned that the area could remain hazardous due to the unknown extent of underground erosion.