Water cannons effective for putting out fires in Olympic basketball venue

(BEIJING, January 14) -- A total of 12 water canons installed in the newly-finished Olympic Basketball Gymnasium will be effective in putting out fires during emergencies, a project engineer said.

The cannons can eject water at distances of up to 50 meters, according to Lian Jun, a project engineer with the Beijing Wukesong Sports & Cultural Center Co., Ltd.

"When the cannons are put into operation, 9 kg of water will be poured onto the fire. The cannons are effective within 50 m," Lian said.