Gas leak in London closes 2 railway stations

Two major railway stations were closed and around 1,450 people were evacuated from a nightclub and hotel after a gas leak in central London on Tuesday.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said a gas leak discovered at around 2 a.m. caused the widespread disruption and firefighters were assisting police at the scene in Craven Street off Strand.

Charing Cross and Waterloo stations remained shut into rush hour in the morning amid emergency work to isolate and fix the leak, the Evening Standard reported.

"Fire crews using detection equipment have identified high levels of natural gas in the atmosphere. Around 1,450 people have been evacuated from a nearby hotel and a nightclub," LFB said in a statement.

More than 1,000 people were ordered to leave Heaven nightclub near the Strand along with around 400 people from other buildings in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Strand, a major route through central London, was closed and a cordon was put in place while National Grid engineers tried to isolate the leak.

Brett Loft, LFB spokesman and station manager at Chelsea, said he could not be sure how long the roads will remain closed, saying it depended on how long it takes the gas authorities to find and seal the leak.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "We will reopen these stations as soon as we have clearance from emergency services that it is safe to do so.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience caused."

The station closures also affected the Bakerloo and Northern line Tube services.

The Metropolitan Police said it was working with the fire service and partner agencies to deal with the leak. It tweeted: "A cordon and road closures are in place as a precaution and members of the public/motorists are advised to avoid the area at this time."

Residents had been evacuated and were sent to Royal Horseguards Hotel in Whitehall Court, the Westminster Council said.

--IANS

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