ALLENTOWN — A sinkhole that forced about 25 people to evacuate their homes Thursday spread to a nearby cemetery, threatening dozens of graves, authorities said.

A Lehigh County judge granted Coroner Scott Grim the right to determine if the graves should be exhumed from the Union and West End Cemetery. No immediate decision was made, Grim said.

Fire Chief Robert Scheirer said that 54 graves were threatened by the approaching water.

Authorities discovered a water main break Thursday morning after a nearby resident’s basement flooded. They did not yet know what happened first, the sinkhole or the water main break. The sinkhole was estimated to be more than 10 feet long and may be growing, authorities said.

No injuries were reported. However, five properties had been deemed structurally unsafe.

“We had a water main break — it washed out underneath the road completely,” Scheirer said. “At this point, we don’t know if the homes will have to be condemned or not.”

A shelter has been set up at an elementary school to accommodate evacuees who need somewhere to stay.