Sinkhole swallows police car after water main break near El Dorado High School

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Water said a 16-inch water main break happened in Far East El Paso Friday.

At the scene, ABC-7 saw a Socorro Independent School District police car in a sinkhole.

The break caused the nearby El Dorado High School to dismiss students.

"Currently, we don’t have a cause. Crews have to isolate the waterline to stop the water from flowing and then they can begin repairs - no estimate at this time," EPWater Public Affairs Officer Denise Parra said.

According to EPWater, it happened across from El Dorado High School near the intersection of Edgemere Boulevard and Tierra Este Road.

SISD shared a message with ABC-7 that was sent to parents:

"Hello, this is Patricia Pedroza, principal of El Dorado High School. I am calling to inform you that students will be dismissed at 3:20 p.m. today due to a water main break on Edgemere and Tierra Este, which has caused a water outage at our campus. Students who normally take the bus will meet in the gym to wait for transportation. Students who drive or walk to school will be permitted to leave. Parents who pick up their students, please be advised that traffic flow will be significantly impacted. If possible, please plan to pick up your child at a remote location. There are extra SISD police in the area to assist with the traffic. Thank you for your continued trust and support of El Dorado High School and Team SISD."

EPWater's outage map said the main break is "low severity" and is impacting 1-49 customers. The map also said the outage area includes the high school.

"We ask drivers to avoid the area, if possible. A water tanker is en route. Updates will be provided on this post as they become available," EPWater said on its social media.