A broken water main may be to blame for creating a sinkhole that has put a dozen nearby homes and scores of grave sites in peril.
The reports of the sinkhole began coming in around 9 a.m. Thursday from the 300 block of N. 10th St. in Allentown.
Officials evacuated at least 15 homes in the area. The fate of those homes has yet to be determined.
Inspectors spent the afternoon evaluating their structural integrity, but won't know what's up until the size of the sinkhole is calculated.
Several of the homes have shifted because of the sinkhole, leaving cracks inside, said fire officials.
Many of the evacuees will spend the night elsewhere, worrying about what could happen.
"Three of the homes have major shifting issues that you can physically see. You can see the doors don't open, cracks in the walls and in the foundations," said Asst. Chief, Lee Laubach, Allentown Fire Dept. "So, those are the three no-go homes right now."
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