SERIOUS flooding from a burst water pipe forced the closure of the South Horizons MTR station (海怡半島站). Water flooded the station after a pipe underneath Exit B near South Horizon Drive (海怡路) burst at about 8.40pm, filling the concourse with water 30 centimetres deep in under five minutes.

South Horizons (海怡半島) resident Mr Ma said he saw water raining down from the ceiling like a scene from The House of Dancing Water (水舞間), the spectacular water-based stage production in Macau.

Commuters were stuck until MTR employees arrived and opened all the gates for them to leave without having to swipe their Octopus cards. Many soaked passengers took off their shoes.

Water flowed to the platform and then the line, so the rail operator decided to close the station after 15 minutes, shutting all the exits after all passengers left.

Service for the South Island Line (南港島.) was limited to between Admiralty (金鐘) and Lei Tung (利東) Station. MTR arranged free shuttle buses for passengers between Lei Tung and South Horizons.

Southern District councillor Judy Chan Ka-pui (陳家珮) appreciated the MTR’s fast response in arranging shuttles buses to transport passengers. But she said it was difficult to judge whether the flood resulted from the rushed construction of the line or thinner than usual ground surface.

It took 10 hours for the station to reopen.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 21 February 2017)

MTR South Island Line opens
http://goo.gl/3Fdpak

What are the world’s best metro systems?
http://goo.gl/8fqYG5