Several cellars flooded Burst water pipe floods Zurich neighborhood
Massive water pipe burst on Ottikerstrasse in Zurich's Oberstrass district: a torrent of mud and debris floods several streets and buildings.
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- A massive burst water pipe in Ottikerstrasse in Zurich has turned several streets into a river.
- Around half a dozen buildings were flooded, streetcars were blocked and streetcar services had to be suspended.
- The fire department quickly stopped the water leaking, but the clean-up and repairs to the street and water pipes are still ongoing.
On Friday evening, January 31, Ottikerstrasse in Zurich's Oberstrass district turned into a raging river. Videos show cars plowing against the current and a hole in the asphalt several meters in diameter.
The reason is a burst water pipe on a line with a diameter of 45 centimetres, which leads to a massive water leak, as reported by Zurich Protection and Rescue.
The fire department was able to quickly "push off" the pipe, as Schutz und Rettung reports, i.e. disconnect it from the rest of the pipe network and stop the water from escaping. Nevertheless, the river in Ottikerstrasse washed away several cubic meters of debris.
Half a dozen buildings flooded
The masses of water made their way through the streets below, carrying debris with them. Around half a dozen buildings were flooded with water and debris.
The fire department was quickly on the scene to remove the worst of the water and pump it out. Weinbergstrasse was particularly affected, as three streetcars were blocked and streetcar services had to be suspended on this section.
The clean-up work is extensive and ongoing. The roads must be completely cleared of debris, especially the streetcar lanes, so that streetcar services can be resumed. At the same time, repair work is being carried out on the damaged water pipe and the washed-out road.
Drones on standby
The operation was coordinated by the on-call officer from the Fire Department & Civil Defense, who led the professional and militia fire department as well as the command support and the SRZ drone on-call team.
The Zurich city police cordoned off the affected area and diverted traffic. Various municipal agencies, including Zurich Water Supply and Energie 360, as well as private specialist companies worked hand in hand to deal with the situation.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
