Shopping centre evacuated (From Daily Echo)

Shopping centre evacuated

4:54pm Monday 20th August 2007 in

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HUNDREDS of shoppers and workers had to be evacuated from Eastleigh's Swan Shopping Centre today after the complex became the centre of a gas leak drama.

It happened when a gas pipe was ruptured on the nearby site of the new mult-million pound leisure development.

The alarm was sounded at about lunchtime when the Swan and nearby shops and offices were emptied. By about 4.30pm repairs had been carried out and the centre was back to normal.

National Grid (formerly Transco), the utility operator, had engineers on the site as soon the gas leak was reported. There was no risk to residents in the surrounding area.

Kevin Elloway, operations manager at The Swan Centre, said: "The health and safety of the general public and staff working at the Swan Centre is of the utmost importance to us, which is why we have taken swift action to ensure that no risk is presented as a result of this gas leak."

No road closures or traffic congestion have resulted from the incident, which has been contained within the Swan Centre site.