Gas Line Incident Causes Temporary Broad Street Closure, Evacuations In North Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - An incident involving a gas line in North Philadelphia closed parts of Broad Street Tuesday, forcing evacuations and delays with SEPTA. Firefighters were called to the 2300 block of North Broad Street for reports of a gas line struck by a contractor, just before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

PGW says a four-inch gas line was hit by a private contractor working at the location. They say it was not considered a leak.

Southbound and northbound lanes on Broad Street between Cumberland and Susquehanna have since reopened.

Nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution but residents have since returned to their homes.

"I heard a consistent banging. They've been doing construction on the building so I didn't think nothing of it, but today I went downstairs to see what was going on and there was a fireman this time, and I was told I had to evacuate cause there is a faint smell of gas," resident Andre Murphy said. "There's people still in the building. I've been evacuated. I've been out here for at least 30 minutes, and there's still people upstairs."

The gas line incident was contained around 12:30 p.m.

There have been no reported injuries.