Bethesda (Maryland): A massive water pipe broke today, sending a torrent of frigid water over a suburban Washington road and trapping about a dozen commuters in their cars.

Rescuers in helicopters and boats had to pluck people from the whitewater unleashed by an aging pipe.

Two people in a minivan climbed into a basket lowered by a helicopter as the floodwaters raged past them, spraying water on a rescuer reaching out to save them, television images showed. Crews also used a boat to rescue motorists from waters at least 1.2 meters deep.

Montgomery County fire officials believed everyone was safe. However, several people rescued were treated for hypothermia. The temperatures outside were in the 20s (about minus 6.7 Celsius).

A man who lives about 15 meters from the street described the immediate, unexpected flood after the pipe, about 1.7 meters in diameter, ruptured.

"I thought it might be a minor leak, then suddenly I stepped outside and, My God! " said Raj Bhansaly. "It looked literally like the Potomac River."

Fire spokesman Pete Piringer said crews had trouble getting to people because of the swift-moving water. Officials said that at one point, water was gush at a rate of 135 million gallons per minute (511 million liters per minute).

From his house, Bhansaly said he saw two cars tied to rescue vehicles with ropes. He said he wasn't worried about water damage to his home because it sits on a hill.

The water main broke during the morning commute on River Road near the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, authorities said.

Source : PTI