Russia in chaos as major city flooded by ‘river of s***’ | World | News
The long-suffering residents of Novosibirsk were confronted by a “river of s***” after a sewage pipe exploded and leaked .
The Siberian city has a population of approximately 1.6 million people and is the third largest in Russia.
It has been beset by frequent problems with its utilities, including heating and power outages, leaving residents shivering in the freezing cold over the winter.
Hundreds of litres of foul-smelling water gushed from the broken sewage pipe, flooding a large area in the city centre.
Video footage shows the river of excrement rushing past a block of flats and towards a road.
Sewage engineers disconnected the section and began to repair the damaged pipe.
They also cleared contaminated snow and used chlorine to disinfect the affected area.
The day before the incident, 315 buildings were left without heat due to a “defect” in the system, as outdoor temperatures plunged to -30C.
Huge clouds of steam billowed from the streets after a pipe carrying hot water for heating homes burst.
Images shared on social media showed a gush of steam reaching as high as the seventh floor of nearby apartment blocks.
Six hospitals, as well as eight schools and kindergartens, were affected by the heating outrage.
In a post on his Vkontakte social media page, the city’s mayor wrote: “A defect occurred on a pipeline 700 millimetres in diameter.”
He added that hot water and heating would be “reduced” for apartments in the affected area, while repairs works were being carried out.
At least five residents were injured by boiling water that flooded city streets, health officials told local media.
At the same time, almost 1,000 houses were left without electricity after a winter storm damaged power lines.