Orange County water main break creates 30-foot sinkhole; another break in LA causes flooding

Orange County water main break creates sinkhole

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — California officials say a burst water pipe has caused a giant sinkhole in the Orange County coastal city of Newport Beach.

Water gushed from a pipe around 1 a.m. Wednesday, flooding some businesses. The sinkhole was 10 feet deep and 30 feet wide. No cars had fallen in.

The water was shut off. City spokeswoman Tara Finnigan says the sinkhole may take a day to repair.

Meanwhile, authorities in Los Angeles say a pipe broke there around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, flooding the street before water was shut off.

There have been more than 35 major water main blowouts in the Los Angeles water system since Sept. 1.