Sinkhole in Reading, PA
© WFMZ
A sinkhole opened and a six-inch water main broke Wednesday on Fairmont Avenue, near Bruckman Avenue, in the Reading's Northmont neighborhood.

The hole, estimated to have an opening of about 18 feet long, threatened to swallow a car that was parked on Fairmont, adjacent to the Quadrant corporate office.

"Another employee came flying in the office like, "Oh my God! Your car is almost in the sinkhole," and I was like, 'What? You've gotta be kidding me,'" said Elanie Diana, the owner of the almost-doomed car.

But it was no joke. When Diana got outside, she saw her car holding on by a thread, teetering over the sinkhole.

"Oh my God. It's almost paid for, and now it's gonna end up in a hole," she said.

Soon, a tow truck driver was able to get it out. Diana started her car, and was on her to find a safer place to park.

"It's a major sinkhole, a major water main break here on a 6-inch line," said Ralph Johnson of Reading Public Works.

The break is not impacting any of RAWA's customers in the area, and only one fire hydrant is supplied by the main, but officials are still busy trying to figure out what caused it all.

"We don't know if the sinkhole happened first, and then the water main broke, or if the water main broke first," said Johnson."It appears that the sinkhole might have been a natural sinkhole and damaged the water main, but we are not sure yet, it's still early."

Crews will be on the scene into the evening. The entire block of Fairmont Avenue remains closed.

No injuries have been reported.