Trapped: A deep sinkhole caused by a water main rupture in Washington Heights sunk a city school bus Tuesday as kids were heading to school
* Bus carrying nine students and four aides trapped about 8am
* No-one was injured
* Residents say it is an ongoing problem
New York Daily News reported the bus was towed from the street between Broadway and St. Nicholas Avenue, and the passengers were taken to school on another bus. No-one was injured.
A city Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman said crews repaired the 12-inch water main and made temporary fixes to the street, but planned to return tonight to make permanent repairs.
However, angry locals claim sinkholes have plagued St. Nicholas Avenue for years.
'It has been there for so long,'.Jacqueline Rivera, 52, told New York Daily News. 'It happens to many cars. I saw a car lose a tire in there.'
DNAinfo.com reported that in August 2011, a water and gas main break on St. Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights opened up a massive hole.
'There has always been a sinkhole there. Its always been caving in,' filmmaker Greg Whitmore, 35, told the publication.
The hole had grown so large that residents put a garbage can in it to warn motorists.
Sinkholes are cavities in the ground caused by water erosion or the drainage of water. They can be naturally-occurring or caused by humans.
Rapid response: Crews repaired the 12-inch water main and made temporary fixes to the street, but planned to return tonight to make permanent repairs
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