Chaos at Skopje’s “Nova Makedonija” building: hot-water pipe bursts, ground floor flooded, power cut

Chaos reigned this morning at the “Nova Makedonija” administrative building in Skopje after a hot-water pipe burst and flooded the ground floor. In a short time, a large amount of water spread through the building’s rooms, as MKinformer reports.

Fearing a short circuit or fire, electricity was cut across the entire building. For this reason the elevators are not working either. According to 4news.mk, some employees were told this situation could continue in the coming days.

Because of the power cut, the computer systems and servers are not working — paralyzing the work of several state institutions housed in the building. Among them are the Ministry of Education and Science, the State Education Inspectorate and the State Election Commission. Parts of the Ministry of Economy and Labour are also located there, along with other agencies, commissions and administrations.

Technical teams and services are on the ground. Work is under way to pump out the water and repair the burst pipe. After the intervention, the material damage will be assessed and a safety check of the electrical installation carried out — only then will it be determined when the building returns to normal operation.