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| Whaley Bridge dam: 'Two days' more pumping needed | Whaley Bridge dam: 'Two days' more pumping needed |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Crews need to spend at least two more days pumping water from a reservoir to stop its dam bursting and flooding a town, firefighters have said. | Crews need to spend at least two more days pumping water from a reservoir to stop its dam bursting and flooding a town, firefighters have said. |
| Whaley Bridge residents are spending a fifth day out of their homes because of the partial collapse of the dam wall. | Whaley Bridge residents are spending a fifth day out of their homes because of the partial collapse of the dam wall. |
| Toddbrook Reservoir is 48% full but needs to drop to 25% before the 1,500 people evacuated are allowed home. | Toddbrook Reservoir is 48% full but needs to drop to 25% before the 1,500 people evacuated are allowed home. |
| The government said it was considering a national review into the structural safety of dams across the country. | The government said it was considering a national review into the structural safety of dams across the country. |
| The Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the present focus was on Whaley Bridge but it would be "following the advice of expert engineers on the best way forward". | |
| Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has visited the dam, following Boris Johnson's visit on Friday. | Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has visited the dam, following Boris Johnson's visit on Friday. |
| Escorted by High Peak's Labour MP Ruth George, Mr Corbyn thanked emergency service workers for their efforts, expressed sympathy to residents and said an inquiry would need to take place. | |
| "Hopefully people will be able to return to their homes but of course there has to be then the question of long-term repair to the dam and the safety of it in the future," he said. | "Hopefully people will be able to return to their homes but of course there has to be then the question of long-term repair to the dam and the safety of it in the future," he said. |
| "There has to be an inquiry. An inquiry to make sure all the co-ordination worked effectively, and everything I have seen shows it did, but there are always lessons to be learned." | "There has to be an inquiry. An inquiry to make sure all the co-ordination worked effectively, and everything I have seen shows it did, but there are always lessons to be learned." |
| The dam is said to be "relatively stable" after four days of efforts to bolster it. | The dam is said to be "relatively stable" after four days of efforts to bolster it. |
| But Derbyshire deputy chief fire officer Gavin Tomlinson said the operation would continue "for a few days yet". | But Derbyshire deputy chief fire officer Gavin Tomlinson said the operation would continue "for a few days yet". |
| Crews using 23 high-volume pumps have removed more than a third of the reservoir's water since part of its spillway collapsed on Thursday following heavy rainfall. | Crews using 23 high-volume pumps have removed more than a third of the reservoir's water since part of its spillway collapsed on Thursday following heavy rainfall. |
| Mr Tomlinson said: "We're now below half the level we want and we're now aiming for about 25%. | Mr Tomlinson said: "We're now below half the level we want and we're now aiming for about 25%. |
| "If the calculations are right we should be able to get below the level of the damage on the dam wall which will allow the engineers and the specialists to assess it. | "If the calculations are right we should be able to get below the level of the damage on the dam wall which will allow the engineers and the specialists to assess it. |
| "As soon as we get the water level down to a safe level, then the emergency phase is over and then the contractors can look at the repairing of the dam wall." | "As soon as we get the water level down to a safe level, then the emergency phase is over and then the contractors can look at the repairing of the dam wall." |
| RAF Chinooks have dropped more than 500 tonnes of aggregate into the damaged section of the wall to reinforce it. | RAF Chinooks have dropped more than 500 tonnes of aggregate into the damaged section of the wall to reinforce it. |
| Forecasters had warned 30-40mm (1.2-1.6in) of rain could fall in two hours on Sunday night. | Forecasters had warned 30-40mm (1.2-1.6in) of rain could fall in two hours on Sunday night. |
| However, as many parts of the UK were hit with storms, Whaley Bridge escaped with only light showers. | However, as many parts of the UK were hit with storms, Whaley Bridge escaped with only light showers. |
| Speaking late on Sunday, Wing Cdr John Coles said: "I think the assessment is now that actually the dam is relatively stable. | |
| "It's very much a case of pumping more water out, and those engineers when it comes first light, will make another assessment of how successful that's been. | "It's very much a case of pumping more water out, and those engineers when it comes first light, will make another assessment of how successful that's been. |
| "The military will stand by ready to come back up if required but I think the sense of the moment is very much we've got through the worst of it. We were fortunate with the weather." | "The military will stand by ready to come back up if required but I think the sense of the moment is very much we've got through the worst of it. We were fortunate with the weather." |
| Police, the Environment Agency and the Canal and River Trust, which owns the dam, have all said there is still a "real risk" the 188-year-old structure may collapse and flood the town. | Police, the Environment Agency and the Canal and River Trust, which owns the dam, have all said there is still a "real risk" the 188-year-old structure may collapse and flood the town. |
| The trust said it carried out an annual inspection of the dam in November and it was "absolutely fine". | The trust said it carried out an annual inspection of the dam in November and it was "absolutely fine". |
| Watersafe UK, a charity specialising in search and rescue operations, said it had 20 teams on standby to assist if the dam burst. | Watersafe UK, a charity specialising in search and rescue operations, said it had 20 teams on standby to assist if the dam burst. |
| Police have sharply criticised 22 residents from 16 homes who are still refusing to leave. | Police have sharply criticised 22 residents from 16 homes who are still refusing to leave. |
| Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Swann said: "We've not evacuated this for no reason. | Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Swann said: "We've not evacuated this for no reason. |
| "We've evacuated this because there is a real prospect that the dam could fail, and if it fails it is catastrophic. | "We've evacuated this because there is a real prospect that the dam could fail, and if it fails it is catastrophic. |
| "People would die if they were in that evacuation zone. So those people who remain in that zone are putting their lives at risk. | "People would die if they were in that evacuation zone. So those people who remain in that zone are putting their lives at risk. |
| "They are also putting the lives of the responders, primarily the police, at risk because we have to keep going in and speaking to them and asking them to leave." | "They are also putting the lives of the responders, primarily the police, at risk because we have to keep going in and speaking to them and asking them to leave." |
| Ms Swann added that the emergency operation was "ahead of schedule" and she was hopeful engineers would be able to assess the dam integrity later so they could potentially begin making plans to allow residents back home. | Ms Swann added that the emergency operation was "ahead of schedule" and she was hopeful engineers would be able to assess the dam integrity later so they could potentially begin making plans to allow residents back home. |
| On Sunday, police said if the dam held then the "worst case scenario" would be that the evacuation zone would remain in place for a week. | On Sunday, police said if the dam held then the "worst case scenario" would be that the evacuation zone would remain in place for a week. |
| The situation at Whaley Bridge has continued to disrupt train services, with East Midlands Trains reporting delays on a number of routes. | The situation at Whaley Bridge has continued to disrupt train services, with East Midlands Trains reporting delays on a number of routes. |
| TransPennine Express services have also been affected. | TransPennine Express services have also been affected. |
| Monday's forecast for the area is for largely dry weather, with the odd light shower. | Monday's forecast for the area is for largely dry weather, with the odd light shower. |
| The Canal and River Trust said it was monitoring water levels in the nearby River Goyt, where the water removed from the Toddbrook Reservoir is being taken. | The Canal and River Trust said it was monitoring water levels in the nearby River Goyt, where the water removed from the Toddbrook Reservoir is being taken. |
| Richard Cockley, a former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, told the BBC it would take years to get the dam back into full operation. | Richard Cockley, a former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers, told the BBC it would take years to get the dam back into full operation. |
| He said: "It's a long haul actually back for a proper dam to provide water supply to the canal system. | He said: "It's a long haul actually back for a proper dam to provide water supply to the canal system. |
| "There'll be lots of investigation taking place about how it failed and the reasons for that, and eventually they'll have to take out everything that [the] Chinook has put into that hole and start to reconstruct the spillway in accordance with modern systems and modern techniques to actually make it safe." | "There'll be lots of investigation taking place about how it failed and the reasons for that, and eventually they'll have to take out everything that [the] Chinook has put into that hole and start to reconstruct the spillway in accordance with modern systems and modern techniques to actually make it safe." |
| Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. | Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk. |
| Do you live in the evacuation zone? Share your story by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | Do you live in the evacuation zone? Share your story by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
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