Area evacuated after car ruptures gas line

Houses and a factory had to be evacuated near the Hawke's Bay town of Clive yesterday when a car crashed into a high pressure gas line.

Senior Sergeant Mike O'Leary of Hastings said the 100psi line into the Circle Pacific factory at Whakatu was ruptured when a woman lost control of her car and hit it.

The woman was uninjured but the factory and nearby houses had to be evacuated.

The area was closed off for about 90 minutes while the pipe was repaired.

- NZPA