Overview
- High‑volume transport pipelines ruptured in Gerresheim early Saturday and in Benrath late Saturday, sending water through streets, basements and underground garages with no injuries reported.
- Firefighters used high‑capacity pumps and deployed about 35 personnel in Benrath, temporarily cut power to at‑risk buildings and secured hazards including an undermined roadway and a compromised tree.
- In Gerresheim, two underground garages flooded and two electric cars were recovered; a section of roadway collapsed and an advertising column toppled, with damage totals still unassessed.
- Stadtwerke said local drinking‑water supply was maintained, with some homes briefly served by water trucks, and both affected streets remained closed on Sunday as excavation and pipe replacement proceeded.
- The utility described such back‑to‑back breaks as rare and said the Benrath failure can be seen as a follow‑on after the larger Gerresheim rupture, while formal cause investigations continue.