Experts assessing collapsed road

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One of Belfast city centre's busiest roads could be closed for around a week after partially collapsing.

Engineers have begun an investigation into why a road in Belfast city centre collapsed and how to repair the damage.

The rupture in Cromac Street was discovered early on Saturday. It could take at least a week to repair.

It is understood an emergency meeting will be held on Sunday to discuss the potential traffic disruption in the city centre.

The depression in the road is above a storm-water tunnel in the multi-million pound Belfast Sewers Project.

Work has been ongoing since 2005 on constructing a six-mile network of tunnels running underneath the city.

Assurances

The key junction in the sewerage network is located at Cromac Street, in the area of the collapsed road.

In a statement, NI Water said staff were "working closely with other utilities to secure the site".

The tarmac on the road began tearing up on Saturday morning

Alex Maskey, who is a Sinn Fein MLA for south Belfast, said that he has received assurances from NI Water that the Belfast Sewers Project has been "in no way affected" by the road's collapse.

Mr Maskey added that he wanted to commend the Roads Service for their "swift response" to the incident and said he was grateful that no-one had been injured.

'Belfast Sleech'

Cromac Street has been closed at its junction with East Bridge Street, and a number of road diversions have been put in place.

Metro bus services are being diverted onto Ormeau Avenue and Linenhall Street, with Ulsterbus services travelling via the Short Strand and Queens Bridge.

Roads Service spokesman Colin Brown said the city is built upon a deposit of soft clay, silt and mud known as "Belfast Sleech".

"Periodically we can get voids forming under the roads," he said.

"Sometimes it's very clear what has caused it, other times it's quite a mystery."