Ruptured water pipe causes large scale flood at Flint tower block

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service has said it is continuing to provide assistance at Bolingbroke Heights in Flint, after a ruptured pipe caused water to cascade throughout the tower block.

Firefighters dealing with a separate, unrelated incident at nearby Richard Heights were diverted to attend the flats juts after 3am.

Water from a tank situated in the roof of the 17-storey tower block was discovered pouring down the building.

Power failed as a result of the water but has since been restored.

Flintshire Council leader Ian Roberts said a number of flats are badly damaged with water penetration and those residents affected will be given temporary accommodation. 

Paul Scott from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “As we were nearby we were able to divert resources to the incident at Bolingbroke Heights and quickly locate the source of the water ingress to stop further water escaping.

“The water has affected a number of flats throughout the building and we have been working closely with Flintshire County Council officers and staff from Scottish Power to ensure residents are looked after.

Unfortunately, the water has affected the building’s main fire alarm system therefore we have been maintaining a presence on site to ensure the safety of the residents.

Collaborative multi agency work is in hand to reinstate the alarm system and to ensure that the residents are protected in the event of a fire.”

Cllr Roberts said: “A connection to the main header tank failed in the early hours of the morning releasing water throughout the building.

Officers were called and have been out since about two o’clock this morning and are still on site now.

Some residents flats are quite badly damaged with water penetration.

Unfortunately, as a consequence the power failed but that’s now been restored.

Officers are there to mend the connection to the water tank and the biggest problem we’ve got at the moment is the lift doors won’t open because the lift system has reacted in exactly the same way as it would for a fire.”

A ‘big clean up’ and assessment take place on Monday said Cllr Roberts.

 “Anyone who needs accommodation sorting out, homeless officers are coming around assessing what damage there is.

If there are flats where beds are wet and so on then we will provide temporary accommodation.

Tomorrow a big clean up and assessment will take place to ensure that they’re back in their flats.

For some it will be an easy job but for others it’s going to be a longer job.

As leader of the council, I’ve given my assurance to residents that we will return their lives to normal as soon as possible.

“In the meantime, I would like to thank the fire brigade and officers who have been in attendance since this morning.” Added Cllr Roberts.

In November 2016 more than 30 flats at Bolingbroke Heights were flooded after a planned exercise by the fire service went wrong and sent thousands of gallons of water cascading through the building.