Members of a west Edmonton Islamic centre are cleaning up after a major flood early Monday morning.
A pipe about 20 centimetres in diameter burst early Monday morning, causing water to quickly flood MAC Islamic Centre, located in the area of 61 Avenue and 172 Street.
Mud and water were nearly one-metre deep in some areas of the centre, including the main office.
“It flooded the place in a very bad way,” said Bassam Fares, the manager of MAC Islamic Centre. “Lots of water, and thank God there was nobody in the office because the water pressure was very huge. If someone was around, the water could have hurt him or her.”
By Tuesday morning, the carpet was torn up and several fans were placed throughout the building in hopes of drying it out.
Most of the flooring will likely need to be replaced. The centre has insurance, but Fares said it’s still a major blow to the community.
“It’s a heartbreaking incident because the people are used to the place and they’re coming every day. The kids are coming to preschool,” Fares said.
“It’s the second home for about at least 1,000 Muslim families around. Lots of activities.”
The centre holds prayer sessions five times per day. The preschool sees about 50 kids come and go on a daily basis. The centre also runs school programs for about 300 kids on Saturday and Sunday.
“Now everything just stopped all of a sudden,” Fares said.
The preschool will be closed indefinitely, as will the prayer area and refugee program.
Tamam Jomha, who attends the centre with her family, said she was devastated when she saw the extent of the damage.
“It’s just so sad because my kids love coming here… They enjoy it. The teachers are unbelievably great,” she said. “I love this playschool. It’s great for their mental and physical activity, so it sucks.”
It’s not known when the centre will reopen. Fares said the centre is accepting donations, both monetary contributions and volunteer hours, from those who want to help with the cleanup efforts.
The community has already stepped up to help, Fares said, trying to see the positive side of things.
“Maybe now, we’re going to do a major renovation and make it suitable for the community to use,” he said. “We might end up having a nicer centre after the renovations.
“We’re asking the people to be patient, and hopefully, we’ll get this place back on track soon.”
The cause of the pipe burst is not known. The flood also affected neighbouring businesses in the strip mall.
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