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Porta potty almost floods Augsburg’s historic old town

A portable toilet nearly led to an unsightly mess in the beautiful old town of Augsburg, after a group of youths caused an almighty blockage.

Porta potty almost floods Augsburg's historic old town
The Perlachturm in Augsburg and a portable toilet. Photo: DPA

Everyone has heard of a blocked toilet causing a disgusting sea of fecal matter to flood the bathroom. Less common is when the toilet itself is the unwieldy object stopping up a waterway.

But that is exactly what happened in Augsburg on Saturday evening, when a group of five 15- to 18-year-olds picked up a portable toilet and threw it into the Lech canal in the centre of town.

Witnesses recounted how the youths then immediately ran from the scene.

Emergency services rushed to respond as the water in the blocked canal steadily rose, threatening to flood parts of the old town.

With the help of a crane, the police were able to unplug the situation.

Authorities have not estimated the cost of the damage. They are now searching for the five young toilet-throwers.

The Lech canal forms part of Augsburg's complicated and historic water transport system, which has been nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018.

Augsburg, Bavaria's third largest city, was founded 2,000 years ago by the Romans who first started developing its water system.