The warning for the incident was received at 7.15 am and when the emergency teams arrived at João Lobo Trigueiros Street in Olhão, “the vehicle was inside the hole”, but “there is no record of any injuries or victims,” the source of the Faro District Relief Operations Command (CDOS) told Lusa.

Assisting on site were the Olhão firefighters and PSP.

“The site has been signalled and the repair work is now the responsibility of Ambiolhão”, a municipal company responsible for water supply in the municipality of Olhão, Faro district, he added.

The street in question has been closed to remove the vehicle, and in the early afternoon teams were waiting for the arrival of a crane to remove the car because “a normal trailer could not do it,” explained Clarisse Albino, an engineer from Ambiolhão.

After the rupture, there were homes in the area that has their water cut, but the service "was resumed about two hours later," according to the company.

"The rupture was in a pipeline that supplies the lower part of the city of Olhão, but as there is an alternative conduit in this street, it was possible to restore the service," he explained.

The same source also said that only after the arrival of the crane, scheduled for 1.30pm, and after the removal of the vehicle can repair works be started and damage assessed.