It was even reported that they occasionally ran into drainpipes, only to emerge at the other end.

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Making matters worse, according to passengers, toilets and drainpipes had overflowed, soaking many cabins and interior passages in raw sewage.

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The fire quickly took hold as the stairwell acted like a chimney, forcing many of the occupants to jump from the building or climb down drainpipes.

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The Internet doesn't produce belching smokestacks or toxin-spewing drainpipes.

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The stench from overflowing toilets and drainpipes made some cabins uninhabitable and many people slept in corridors, while others took bedding out into the open to escape the heat and foul smell.

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