LAWRENCE, Mass. - A gas line was ruptured during excavation on a construction site, triggering evacuations in Lawrence, police said.
Power was restored later in the evening, but work on the gas line is likely going to continue into the overnight hours.
Police said a construction company hit a high-pressure gas main while working at the corner of Jackson and Knox streets at 1:15 Thursday afternoon. The gas was so strong this afternoon, Sky25 could smell it thousands of feet in the air.
Thousands have been affected by the break. Dozens of homes and businesses were without power for most of the day, including two hospitals and nursing homes, which are now running on generators.
Police say 100 homes have been evacuated and 3,000 residents were left without power.
Methuen Deputy Fire Chief Dan Donahue says the real danger will come once they actually shut the gas off, which is when he says gas levels will need to dissipate before people are safe to go back home.
The smell was so intense that Boston 25 News crews from Sky25 could smell it from thousands of feet in the air. Officials went from house to house making sure there was no danger.
"Several of the structures have very high gas levels in the buildings, so once the gas main is shut down, then the situation really gets dangerous because all of the buildings come back down to the explosive level," said Donahue.
An emergency shelter has been set up at the Lawrence Senior Center at 155 Haverhill Street.
No injuries have been reported.
This is near the border with Methuen and is impacting that community as well. Methuen police said Swan Street is closed between Jackson and Prospect Streets.
This is a developing story. Stay with Boston 25 News for updates.