Rockslide shuts down Merrimack Premium Outlets in New Hampshire
MERRIMACK, N.H. - A rockslide damaged a natural gas system and shut down the Merrimack Outlets in New Hampshire Wednesday.
The fire department was called to the shopping center just after 7 a.m. for a report of a gas leak.
When they arrived, they found part of a rock wall behind one of the buildings had collapsed and "impacted" the gas line there.
The gas was shut off and the outlets did not open for the day. No one was hurt.
"We are currently working with Liberty Utilities and Eversource to make the area safe and restore utilities," the fire department said in a Facebook post. "This is a dynamic and ongoing scene."
"We want to assure everyone that there is currently no threat of natural gas to the public," a Liberty Utilities spokesperson said in a statement.
"Due to the large amounts of debris present, Liberty crews are not currently able to access the area to make repairs to the main shopping center. We are, however, working on a temporary repair that will restore service to customers on the access road leading to the shopping mall. Once the area is cleared of debris and mall personnel deem the property safe to enter, Liberty will make all appropriate repairs and restore service to the shopping mall."
Crews are trying to figure out how to remove the rocks without triggering another slide, so they can safely go in to make repairs.
"Right now, it's all about seeing safety. For all the utility companies that are working up there, nothing much is going to happen until they can ensure that the scene is actually safe for them to approach," Merrimack Lt. Fire Inspector Chris Wyman told WBZ-TV. "Once they make those determinations, then they can sit there and actually take their time, determine the extent of damage and make the repairs that are necessary."
Shoppers who arrived to take advantage of holiday deals were asked to make a U-Turn and leave. Many said they'd go to another mall.
"It means I'm not going to have pants for New Year's Eve," laughed shopper Scott Mignogna.
Some stores will reopen on Thursday.
