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GAS LEAK:SOME TENSE MOMENTS IN GANANOQUE THIS MORNING.
April 14, 2009
SOME TENSE MOMENTS IN GANANOQUE THIS MORNING. DOZENS OF RESIDENTS WERE FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES -- AFTER WORK CREWS ACCIDENTALLY RUPTURED A NATURAL GAS PIPE. THE GAS LEAK HAPPENED IN THE AREA OF KING AND VICTORIA STREETS. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. BUT RESIDENTS HAD TO LEAVE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS, AS A PRECAUTION.
NEWSWATCH'S STU HAY REPORTS.
IT WAS JUST AFTER 8:30 IN THE MORNING WHEN THE SOUND OF NATURAL GAS ESCAPING FROM AN UNDERGROUND PIPE DROWNED OUT THE SOUNDS OF A BUSY ROAD CONSTRUCTION SITE ON EAST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN GANANOQUE.
EMERGENCY CREWS WERE ON SCENE WITHIN MINUTES.
BENNETT
"WE ARRIVED AND MET THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WHO ADVISED US THEY HAD HIT A 2 INCH LINE FEEDING A RESIDENCE.
WE COMMENCED OUR POLICY AND EVACUATED THE EAST SIDE OF VICTORIA AND ELMSVIEW,,, APPROXIMATELY ABOUT A BLOCK."
FIRE FIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS BEGAN GOING DOOR TO DOOR TELLING RESIDENTS TO GET OUT.
MANY LEFT WITH ONLY THE CLOTHES ON THEIR BACKS, LEAVING VALUABLES AND PETS BEHIND.
STREETER
"WE WERE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THEM BUT THEY ARE FINE.
ALL THE NEIGHBOURS LEFT THEIR ANIMALS.'
STREETER
"I WAS IN THE BATHROOM SHAVING AND I GOT A KNOCK ON THE DOOR SO I WENT TO GET IT AND 2 FIREMEN TOLD US WE HAD TO VACATE BECAUSE OF A GAS LEAK AND THE WIND WAS BLOWING WEST AND....AS A MATTER OF FACT YOU COULD SMELL IT."
BY THE TIME THE DOOR TO DOOR CAMPAIGN WAS DONE, AN ENTIRE RESIDENTIAL BLOCK HAD BEEN EVACUATED AS A PRECAUTION.
EMERGENCY OFFICIALS WERE TAKING NO CHANCES -- BY REDUCING THE RISK OF IGNITING THE GAS FUMES.
BENNETT
"THE WEATHER FACTOR IS A BIG ONE.
THIS ONE HAD THE WIND FACTOR.
WE MAKE SURE THE RESIDENTS ARE OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND NOTHING IS IGNITED, NO VEHICLES STARTED."
BUT WHILE EVERYONE ELSE WAS HURRYING AWAY FROM THE LEAK, THIS CREW FROM UNION GAS WAS DOING JUST THE OPPOSITE.
EVENTUALLY CRAWLING INTO THE HOLE CONTAINING THE BROKEN PIPE AND PINCHING IT CLOSED WITH A
HYDRAULIC PRESS.
BENNETT
"UNION GAS WORKS WITH US THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THIS CREW WE WERE ON A FIRST NAME BASIS WITH AND THEY WORKED VERY WELL WITH THE FIRE SERVICE."
AND JUST A FEW HOURS AFTER THE INCIDENT BEGAN, AREA RESIDENTS WERE GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO RETURN HOME AND CONSTRUCTION CREWS GOT BACK TO WORK REPLACING THE CITY'S WATER PIPES.
STU HAY CKWS NEWSWATCH GANANOQUE.
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