Firefighters evacuated nearly 60 homes Thursday morning in Winnipeg, due to a gas leak.
People could hear the hiss and smell the odour in the air as gas leaked from a pipe Thursday morning in the Mandalay West area of Winnipeg.
Firefighters evacuated surrounding homes on Adsum, Derbyshire and Duval.
"I was just having a cup of coffee and (firefighters) came to the door and said we had to (leave) right away," said resident Allan Roulette.
Some people waited on a city bus brought in as an emergency shelter, while others went to stay with family and friends.
The Salvation Army community response vehicle arrived to help residents, providing food and beverages for those forced out of homes.
A city crew working on digging a storm drain hit the line with a back hoe, causing the gas leak.
"There (were) too many utilities on the main drag. They happened to move over across the street and happened to hit the gas line that was feeding 94 Duval," said Don Black, district 4 fire chief.
Around 12 p.m. Thursday, firefighters started letting people return to their homes after the leak was stopped.
Firefighters said there was no indication gas leaked into any homes but they evacuated them earlier as a precaution.
Manitoba Hydro crews plugged the leak and turned off the gas and was expected to remain on site through the day to fully fix the pipe.
Experts say a rotten egg smell can indicate a gas leak. People may also see vapour, ground frosting or a lot of brown vegetation that could be an indication of a gas leak. If you see continuous bubbling of wet or flooded areas or dust blowing from a hole in the group during dry conditions, or hear a high-pitched hissing sound, it may also indicate a gas leak.
When planning to dig, people are advised to always contact Manitoba Hydro first for safety.
- with a report from Alesia Fieldberg
