A student is swept away by flooding at McGill University.

With files from CP

Photo: The Canadian Press - The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Pedestrians use a city bench to cross a fllooded street in Montreal, Monday, January 28, 2013, following a water main break.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

A river raged through a section of downtown Montreal as a water main break Monday flooded a section of the city core.

The water barrelled down the slope of Mount Royal, with some people struggling to avoid being swept away by the mighty current.

The flood began spreading near McGill University just before rush hour, prompting traffic jams as police rerouted cars and people struggled to escape the area.

Some people wrapped themselves in garbage bags to protect their lower body from the ice-cold water as they crossed submerged streets.

At one intersection, where the flooded area was narrow, people moved a sidewalk bench and used it as a bridge to get to the middle of the street.