Streets and communities around Hawke's Bay Hospital have returned to normal after a gas-leak emergency which resulted in several evacuations closures of much of the access to the area for more than two hours today.
Emergency services were alerted at 10.10am to the smell of gas in McLeod St and Omahu Rd, both near the hospital in Hastings.
The source was identified as a ruptured main in Orchard Rd, and emergency services gradually closed access to the area at the corner of Orchard Rd and McLeod St, to all but emergency services and specific hospital traffic in Canning Rd, access to Orchard Rd via Stoneycroft St off Omahu Rd, and Lowe on the southern side of the hospital in the suburb of Camberley.
While police at one stage said the 120-pupil Camberley School had been evacuated, new principal Tamla Smith confirmed pupils were assembled in the playground, enjoying the sunshine as they were "buddied" in readiness to go to nearby Heretaunga Intermediate if necessary.
Ultimately they were not evacuated from the ground and with the leak capped, the main emergency was over by 12.30pm, children able to enjoy lunchtime, and neighbours on the northern side of Kiwi St were allowed to return to the homes from which they'd been evacuated.