Water Pipe Accident

[Anchor Lead]

Just one week after an aged hot water pipe burst in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do Province, the same incident happened in western Seoul. This time, the pipe was ruptured in two areas, but restoration efforts were delayed because of the late detection of the second rupture. As a result, thousands of residents had to spend a very cold night.

[Pkg]

Water gushes out from a hot water pipe buried in a flower bed in front of an apartment building. Workers are busy mending the pipe. The incident happened in Mok-dong in western Seoul when an old water pipe burst in two areas. The first rupture occurred at 8:50 a.m. Tuesday. The Seoul Energy Corporation resumed hot water supply in the evening after restoring the broken pipe, but another rupture occurred later about 20 meters from the site of the first accident.

[Soundbite] (Witness(voice modified)) : "After the first rupture was fixed, the Seoul Energy Corporation resumed hot water supply. But about 20 meters away water began to leak again. It poured out."

One of the ruptured areas was detected too late. The 200mm hot water pipe was installed 33 years ago. The Seoul Energy Corporation believes that water began to leak from the pipe through a hole caused by corrosion. Some 1,800 households in this apartment complex had to spend a cold night without hot water and heating for 17 hours. Residents' concerns are growing, as water pipe ruptures are becoming frequent in the cold weather.