Water pipe break forces women, children from transitional housing

Women and children transitioning from homelessness were forced out early Thursday after a water pipe break inside the North Philadelphia building they are staying at caused it to become structurally unstable.

Firefighters responded to the Drueding Center along North Master Street before 3 a.m. after the pipe broke, the fire department said.

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Firefighters initially called the pipe a water main inside the building, but the Philadelphia Water Department later clarified that it was a pipe that broke. The break caused the second floor to become unsafe, firefighters said.

Officials said that 15 adults and 15 children were displaced from their homes. Women could be seen moving a strollers down the front steps of the building. The displaced people were taken to a nearby day care center.

ServePro was on the scene before daybreak as the cleanup process began. It was unclear how long it would take for residents to be able to safely reenter the building.

The "Drueding Center helps families experiencing homelessness to heal from trauma, restore hope, and end the cycle of homelessness," the organization's website says.

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