Burst pipe causes another flood in New House
Burst pipe causes another flood in New House
A steam pipe burst in the stairwell of New House’s House 6 Monday, causing a flood on the first floor and part of the large, ground-floor hallway connecting New House’s six houses.
At around 10:45 p.m., an email to the list nh-forum told students to “evacuate now via House 5 staircase, not a drill.”
A “provisional” all-clear was given at 11:03 p.m.
A New House community member was injured as a result of the burst. According to an email sent by New House Vice President Alexa M. Garcia ’17, the individual “suffered minor burns,” but “has been medically attended to, and is fine now.”
“We are aware that this repair process has been a grand inconvenience to the residents of House 6, and I know that all New House administrators, executive, officers and residents will gladly extend a helping hand in any way that we can,” Garcia’s email said.
Half of New House closed in July after a different pipe burst in House 2, causing extensive flooding and displacing more than 100 students. Many are currently living in the Hyatt Regency hotel just off campus as part of an arrangement with MIT.
Since the burst this week, residents have expressed concerns about their safety and about the stability of the building, according to the Garcia’s email. New House representatives compiled a list of questions to ask administrators, including “Why are the pipes in New House breaking? Will this keep happening? Are we (our belongings and ourselves) safe?” and “What are the options for repairing the pipe system(s) in the building? Is this a permanent fix?”
“New House Executives and [the] MIT Administration share the common goal of ensuring the safety of our New House residents,” Garcia wrote.
—Katherine Nazemi