San Francisco sinkhole could take several days to repair

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - A sinkhole in a busy San Francisco street could take several days to repair, said San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

An official told KTVU early Wednesday, that repair work will begin in the morning, and go around-the-clock.

A 12x5 foot section of pavement collapsed around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

An SUV from a car service had stopped for a red light, when the ground opened up at Mission Street, near New Montgomery.

A family of five, plus the driver, were inside the vehicle, as it teetered precariously on the edge of the hole.

Fire crews had to tie the s-u-v to some parking meters, in order to safely get everyone out.

"We were worried about the occupants we didn't want to it car to fall any farther," said Ofc. Mike Cattaneo, San Francisco Police Department. "Fire came on scene and secured the vehicle..."they tied it to some parking meters with some rope."

The SFPUC said the sinkhole is about 9-feet deep, and likely caused by a broken sewer main that dates back to 1875.

Raw sewage is seeping into the hole, but there's no disruption to water or sewer service in the area.

The collapsed roadway barely missed an underground gas line.

Muni's 14 bus is being rerouted because of the street closure.