25 Allentown residents were forced to evacuate their homes after a sinkhole spread to their street.
It happened Thursday morning on North 10th Street.
In total, 15 homes were evacuated -- five of them because of structural damage, says the Allentown Fire Chief.
"I go through the concrete floor. There's a gush of water going through the basement," said affected resident Dwayne Glover. "I don't know where it's going to I just know I started seeing the concrete start to sink in."
"They had to break down my door to get inside," said John Johnston.
Officials say that the sinkhole went under the street as well as under some of the homes and has caused a few of the houses to shift.
Water, electricity and gas have been turned off in the area and roads are closed between 9th and 11th streets and Chew and Liberty streets.
Evacuated residents were briefly allowed back into their homes while escorted by firefighters to retrieve important paperwork, pets and medication. As of now however, the block is completely off limits.
The city set up an emergency shelter for the evacuees at a nearby elementary school. The displaced residents stayed with family and friends instead however, causing the city to close the shelter.
"A 15 by 3-foot opening was there," said Allentown Assistant Fire Chief Lee Laubach. "And then some openings happened on the other side of the gate here in the graveyard."
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Allentown's coroner's office says 54 graves in a nearby cemetery have been affected by the sinkhole.
While it was initially believed that the sinkhole was caused by a water main break, this has not yet been confirmed. Crews ceased digging into street layers Thursday night and plan to resume on Friday.
