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Several homes were destroyed when a tsunami of sewage and water flowed in through homes after a water mains apparently burst open.

Adrian Ryan said when he opened the front door of his home at Bengal Terrace, Limerick city, around 2.30am this morning, he was driven back “12 feet” by a river of human waste.

Residents along the street woke to the sounds of gushing water, as a three-foot high deluge flowed in around their homes.

Mr Ryan, who was first to raise the alarm, ran door to door alerting his neighbours “to keep their doors closed”.

Speaking at his swamped home, he said: “When I opened my front door, it hit me so hard it drove me the whole length of the hallway. It was like a tsunami.”

“The door just hit me so hard, and drove me back 12 feet,” added Mr Ryan, who is a former council water mains repair man.

His wife Jackie, standing in her destroyed kitchen, added: “We are devastated at the minute. Just shocked.”

Several homes were soaked in sewage causing thousands of euro worth of damage.

Tired and sodden from their overnight ordeal, residents had to began the awful task of throwing out their furniture and personal possessions, that were wrecked in the filthy flood.

“I just woke up and heard water. I thought it was something leaking. I came down the stairs and I slipped on the stairs in the hall and fell,” Mr Ryan said.

“There was about four inches of water in the hall, and I saw water pouring in the door.”

“The sewer main couldn’t cope. The volume of water that would come down a 12 inch main (pipe) is colossal. That would have filled the sewer and the sewer then mixed with the water,” he added.

(Image: Press 22)

Residents praised the “brilliant” rapid response of firefighters who raced to the scene and pumped the stinking water from houses.

Several fire tenders attached to Limerick City Fire Service were backed up by responding crews from Cappamore based in the east of the county.

It’s believed up to ten homes were worst effected, with extensive water damage reportedly caused to sub floors, furniture, and garden sheds.

Exhausted, residents complained they were still waiting for officials to speak to them about a recovery plan for them and their houses.

“We were told we may not see anybody until Monday, but that’s not good enough, not with sewage. No one can give us a definitive answer. We’re waiting for a response,” Mr Ryan said.

When Elenor Considine said she awoke this morning to a river “gushing” through her newly renovated home.

She explained how she and her husband had recently refurbished the property in time for their daughter’s wedding. A cherished wedding photo album of the special day was badly damage in the flood.

Surveying through the soggy pictures, she said: “At least we can replace them, but (our home) is destroyed.”

Recounting the horror from earlier she said: “The water was just gushing through the house, just flowing through. It came in the vents and under the front door.”

Another resident described how at the height of the flooding, a sewer manhole was shaking violently “like an oil gusher” waiting to spew out its contents.

“The sewer up the road was like an oil gusher; it was just waiting (to blow). Everything was coming out of it,” they added.

In the darkness and confusion, residents ran from their beds without shoes and into the watery sewage.

“I had to go to someone else’s house to wash my feet afterwards. We’re waiting for assessors now. Our houses are the lowest (lying) so they’re probably worst effected.”

(Image: Press 22)

“You can only imagine what went through the house. My shed is destroyed too. We’re waiting for people to come,” they added.

Niamh Counihan, who was in bed next to her seven-week old baby daughter Fiadh, could only look on as her baby mat and blanket was contaminated by the disgusting deluge.

“I heard our neighbour roaring and shouting so I looked out the window and saw the bin floating across the driveway. We ran downstairs and there was water everywhere,” she explained.

“We couldn’t open the front door so went out the window. The door couldn’t be opened as the water was up over or doorstep,” she said.

“Then we heard it was raw sewage. There is so much ruined. All the baby stuff that was near the floor is covered in sewage and is gone.”

“I have to get rid of everything. I have to move out and I’ve no where to go. My daughter is gone to my mother’s house for now but there isn’t enough room for all of us there. I don’t know what I’m going to do now until the house gets (cleaned),” Ms Counihan added.

A spokesperson at the council’s out of hours emergency contact service said engineers had been deployed to the area after it received Limerick Fire Control had contacted them at 2.30am seeking sandbags after it had received a report of mass road flooding.

An Irish Water spokesperson said: “Irish Water is carrying out repairs to a burst water main in the Kilmallock Road of Limerick City which occurred at approximately 2.30am this morning. Supply has now been restored to all customers and the area has been made safe.

“As a result of the incident, water entered approximately 10 houses in the area. Irish Water and Limerick City and County Council have been providing assistance to those customers who have been affected.

“Emergency crews responded immediately when they became aware of the issue and the leak was shut off within two hours. Water supply has been redirected to the area.

“Irish Water and Limerick City and County Council would like to apologise to all customers that this has impacted, particularly those whose homes were directly affected and thank them for their co-operation.

“Anyone with queries or concerns should contact the Irish Water customer care line at 1850 278 278.”