Bethlehem Sinkhole Swallows Truck, Forces Evacuations
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — A sinkhole partly swallowed a utility truck and forced the evacuation of 30 people after it struck, but did not break, a gas line in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.
Officials ordered the evacuation around 12:20 a.m. Friday. They say the sinkhole opened about 90 minutes earlier, as crews worked on a water main break in Bethlehem Township.
The driver of the PPL truck escaped safely. The truck remained in the hole for several hours, resting against a 4-inch, high-pressure natural gas line.
Officials say the gas line remained intact and there was no leak. They say they ordered the evacuated of about 10 homes within a 300-foot radius as a precautionary measure.
The American Red Cross set up an evacuation center at Bethlehem Township's community center.