Woman Injured In Pipe Burst

A woman’s legs were broken after a torrent of water - caused by a burst pipe - crashed through her home in Moseley Park, near Pinetown.

Premilla Rajmohan, 56, was sweeping her lounge on Wednesday when the pipe that ran alongside her home in Rushbrook Road gave way and unleashed thousands of litres of water. It tore down the wall of her house, and she was pinned under a slab of concrete and household furniture.

The rush of water tossed Rajmohan’s furniture around her home like toys, and caused a mudslide that filled a section of her lounge.

Her son, Sanesh Hansraj, who was at work when the pipe burst just before 9am on Wednesday, rushed home when frantic neighbours called him.

When he arrived minutes later, his mother’s lower body was still pinned underneath the rubble. Outside his yard, his bakkie, which is usually parked alongside the pavement, sat precariously on the bank’s edge, which had earlier given way to the surge of water.

Had the bank eroded more, Hansraj’s bakkie would have crashed into his home.

“I was terrified when I got there and saw my mother trapped,” he said. “My only concern was for her and to free her.”

Along with concerned neighbours, Hansraj used a hammer to break through a lock on the gate to reach his mother.

His neighbours helped to lift the rubble off his mother while he freed her.

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Water Floods South Burlington Basements

SOUTH BURLINGTON — The tidy residential neighborhoods near White Street in South Burlington seem far removed from the destructive flooding along the shores of Lake Champlain.

That is, until residents step into their basements.

Deb and Rich Lockwood’s basement on Barber Terrace is in shambles. Items are perched in disarray on pallets and boxes to keep them away from the wet floor. The room smells of mildew, even though most of the water that poured into the basement has dried up during the past few days.

“We are throwing out possessions that we’ve had forever,” Deb Lockwood said. She said the family has lived in the house for decades, and this is the first time the basement flooded.

The flooding has extended, residents say, to nearly every basement on quiet streets including Barber Terrace, Mills Avenue and Peterson Terrace. Many of the incidents are the first in memory.

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Criminal Courts Evacuated Due To Broken Pipes

Dozens of felony court cases were transferred to a different downtown Los Angeles courthouse Monday when a broken pipe shut disrupted the water supply at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Courts Building.

The 10 a.m. incident took place amid construction and flooded the boiler room and exhibit unit, according to court officials. It was not immediately clear if the entire building would be closed for the day, although court officials said it was possible.

The exact cause of the broken pipe has not been identified but officials said there was a construction crew working in the area.

The incident was the second significant interruption of court business in recent days. On Friday, courtrooms were evacuated as part of a fire drill.

Felony arraignments were to be conducted at the downtown Central Arraignment Court on Bauchet Street, which is in the same building as the Men's Central Jail.

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Fire Causes Damage To Detroit School

DETROIT – A pre-dawn fire has caused heavy damage at a historic public school in Detroit

Emergency financial manager Robert Bobb says Tuesday's blaze at the Paul Robeson Academy on the city's west side is "devastating."

The fire started about 4 a.m. and has heavily damaged the upper floors. Investigators have not released information on the cause of the fire.

Classes at the 660-student school are canceled Tuesday. Bobb says the district will move students to the nearby Thurgood Marshall school.

The academy is named in honor of the famed singer, actor and social activist. It educates students through eighth-grade.

Bobb says a separate smaller building for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students was not damaged but could remain closed all week due to fumes from the fire.

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House Calls for Help

MARBLEHEAD, Mass. – After months of enduring a leaking pipe that buckled its floors and sagged its ceilings, an empty Massachusetts house somehow called police for help.

The Salem News reports the 911 call went out to police from a house in Marblehead on Wednesday after water short-circuited the phone system, apparently sparking the emergency call.

Officers were sent to the address after the call was recorded as a hang up and a return call got static.

Inside, they found the wreckage, including potentially toxic mold, from a pipe that apparently burst during the winter.

Town officials say the interior may have to be gutted.

Police couldn't immediately locate owner James Cowen. His cousin, William Cowen, said he's not worried. He says James was left financially secure by his father and often travels.

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5/11/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

This Afternoon: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. North wind around 14 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. North wind between 7 and 9 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Northeast wind between 7 and 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. Southeast wind at 9 mph becoming northwest.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. North wind between 5 and 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Friday Night: A slight chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday: A chance of showers before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Monday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

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Pipe Burst Floods Superior Court

BRENTWOOD – Rockingham County Superior Court was evacuated shortly before noon after a pipe burst, soaked parts of the third floor and poured down through the lower floors.

The Brentwood Fire Department was called to the courthouse, located along Route 125, shortly before noon.

Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Bird said a pipe broke close to where a maintenance crew was doing work in the building.

The leak was near an elevator used to transport prisoners toward the back of the courthouse and poured through internal sections of the building.

He said crews stopped the leak and assessed whether the water damage was seeping into the building's electrical system before turning the building back over to court officials.

"The decision to reopen is up to them," Bird said. "The leak is under control and now they're trying to salvage what they can."

Bird said water dampened some areas near the electrical system but did not pose any danger.

One trial was underway in courtroom 6 when the pipe gave way. That case was cancelled at least until Friday.

Several probation violation hearings scheduled for 1 p.m. were also cancelled.

Court security officers spent the lunch hour turning away lawyers and people coming either to court or the registry of deeds office located on the basement floor of the building.

They remained posted at the front of the building Thursday afternoon to tell jurors returning from lunch that the courthouse was closed for the rest of the day.

The fire department remained on the scene for about an hour.

Court officials are still assessing the damage and may not determine until Friday morning when the building will reopen.

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