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Gas Leak Forces Evacuation Of 9 Buildings In Flatiron District

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Nine buildings in the Flatiron District were evacuated Tuesday, after a gas leak erupted.

The buildings evacuated around 7 p.m. Tuesday evening were on West 15th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues – a residential block on the cusp of the Flatiron District and Chelsea, Con Edison said.

About 60 people were affected by the evacuation.

It was a wild scene as firefighters went door to door and told people to get out of their homes. As late as 11 p.m., some were still waiting to get back inside.

As CBS 2's Don Champion reported, people who live on the block spent the entire evening waiting to get home.

Some people only had enough time to grab their pets and get out the door.

"I was just at home working at my desk, and just a huge banging on my door – the firemen were going through every single apartment, 'Got to get out, got to get out,' so they said, 'Just grab a coat and leave,'" one man said.

Meanwhile, Con Ed crews entered several buildings looking for the source of the leak – a time-consuming process that had evacuated residents watching and waiting.

"All we know right now is that they're trying to drill a hole to find out where they gas leak's coming from, and they can't determine whether it's coming from the building or from the street," another said.

A Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus was brought to the scene to house the evacuated people, officials said.

By 11 p.m., some residents had been allowed to go back inside, but at least two buildings remained evacuated.

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