Water main break floods South Philly street

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA - A South Philadelphia street is flooded after a water main breaks just before 8 p.m. Friday night.

Water was seen overflowing on South 28th and Dickenson streets as residents grappled with the huge mess in their neighborhood.

The water department was on scene around 8:15 in an effort to shut the water off, and Philadelphia Gas Works employees were also on hand, checking to make sure residents weren’t in danger of any gas explosions.

The Water Department was able to shut off the water by about 10 p.m., but not before thousands of gallons a minute flowed into the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, several sinkholes opened up, including one underneath one woman’s SUV. Fire crews would not allow the woman to move her vehicle, as it was not safe for her to do so, because no one knew how deep the sinkhole was.

Residents did not report any water in their basements and the Philadelphia Fire Department and Philly Gas Works reported no gas leaks, after they went house to house.

There was no word on how many homes were without water Friday night nor were there any details about how the main broke. No injuries were reported. The Water Department reported the main was 16 inches and 28th Street was closed until repairs could be made.

By Saturday evening, all customers had water restored. The Water Department noted that the1400 block of South 28th Street, between Dickinson and Reed would be closed to traffic until further notice.