Five buildings at the University of Iceland were flooded with water last night when a major water main in West Reykjavík burst, Vísir reports. As a result, the university was closed this morning as crews began repairs that are still ongoing at the time of this writing.
That clean up may take a considerable amount of time, as it is estimated that some 2,000 tonnes of water flooded the buildings. The buildings affected are Háskólatorg, Gimli, Lögberg, Árnagarður and the main building.
Making matters worse is the fact that the university is not insured against damage of this kind.
“We are a government institution, and the government doesn’t insure,” rector Jón Atli Benediktsson told reporters. “But we will talk to our Ministry right away, and we have already received a positive response in this matter, and other parties have gotten involved. But I cannot comment further on that subject.”
Several buildings are without power, and the damage is extensive. It is uncertain at the time of this writing when the university will be able to resume campus operations at these buildings.
“We’ve seen that the floors, furniture and walls are in bad shape, doors as well,” Jón said. “So we need to take on all of this. We’re looking at two, three months worth of work in all this.”
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