Both Windsor's mayor and a city councillor are thankful that no one was injured after a vehicle collapsed onto an underground power vault.
At approximately 4 p.m. Tuesday there was a structural vault collapse in the alley adjacent to Royal Windsor Terrace, located at 380 Pelissier Street.
A car parked on a concrete cover for a hydro vault caused the cover to fail, resulting in the car falling into the ground, damaging the hydro substation below.
Windsor mayor, Drew Dilkens, and ward 3 city councillor, Renaldo Agostino, state how thankful they were that no one was injured in the process, and the city is doing all they can to help those affected.
The City of Windsor, Enwin Utilities Inc., Enbridge Gas and Cogeco Cable are all working together to bring utilities back online as soon as possible.
Dilkens says that while some people are expected to get power back, those in the immediate area, specifically those living in Royal Windsor Terrance will most likely be without power and gas for days as crews work.
Crews will remove the car and concrete from the hole today and then begin working to repair the services.
Agostino says it will be a challenge for those in the immediate area.
"It sounds like residents of this building have a challenge coming up in the next few weeks, days, weeks, or possibly months. But, rest assured the city staff will make sure that they can do whatever they can to help alleviate the situation, and make sure people are okay."
Agostino adds that he's very thankful no one was injured.
"That's really the silver-lining in all of this. When you see that picture of a car in a sinkhole, you can just imagine what could have possibly happened if there was people either in that basement room, or people in that car, or people in that vicinity, and thank God, God bless that nobody was."
Mayor Dilkens says Enwin is working to isolate some lines underground to get as many customers back online.
"We know that folks that live in Royal Windsor Terrace, and other folks who are currently customers not receiving service are going to be without power for a number of days. This won't be hours, this will be days until that full transformer station can be repaired underground."
He says this won't be a quick fix, and many residents in Royal Windsor Terrace will be impacted for days.
"There is some power being generated right now with their generators. There is running water, but certainly it's going to be difficult for them without gas to do cooking, and much else. And so this being monitored, I would say on an hourly basis, but this full restoration will take days. This is not going to be a quick fix."
Dilkens, says at the end of the day things that break can be repaired.
"We can't replace human life, and so the fact that no one was injured is a very, very positive thing. We will work to try and get everything back online with our partners at Enbridge, and Cogeco, and at Enwin as well to try and get these services restored, we know how important they are."
Drivers are asked to use extra caution at impacted downtown intersections in case traffic lights are flashing or not functioning, and should be treated as four way stops.
More information will be made available later Wednesday morning as it becomes available.