WORLD : 25 Toilets Explode in Courthouse

About two dozen toilets and urinals in the King County Courthouse exploded when they were flushed because an air compressor had been erroneously connected to a water line, officials said.

“We think we’ve lost about 20 to 25 toilets,” building services manager Bill Kemp said. “The porcelain is actually cracked. We knew it had to be air in the system, but the (city) Water Department said that was impossible.” Officials eventually traced Thursday’s problem in the 72-year-old building to a compressor hooked up by a construction worker at a nearby $430-million bus tunnel project. Kemp said no injuries were reported, although several people apparently were soaked.