Water Main Break leads to Flooding in Bakers Square complex in Northwest Philadelphia

A 48-inch water main broke leading to around 13 million gallons of water on the streets of northwest Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon. The incident happened at a parking lot of a shopping center and led to evacuation.

The pipe running through the parking lot of the Bakers Square complex in the northwest part of Philadelphia got ruptured. Philadelphia Water Department spokesman John DiGiulio said that the nearby railroad tracks seem to have been damaged.

It is said that the water completely covered some parked cases. Firefighters were present at the scene and made people to reach at safe places. They even used an inflatable raft to get others people out.

The Philadelphia Water Department said that they got a call at around 2.45 pm about the bursting of a pipe at the intersection of Fox Street and Roberts Avenue. DiGuilo said that around six businesses had to be shut down for cleaning due to the flood. But it was expected that the shops will reopen on Friday.

Kal Rotbard, who works at a clothing store in Bakers Square, shared that all of sudden the water started coming inside at a very fast speed. After over an hour, firefighters were able to control the water flow.

Within a week, this is the second such incident in Philadelphia. On Sunday, a water main broke in west Philadelphia. In that incident, around 12.5 million gallons of water gushed out on the streets and even in the homes of some families.