Workers are returning to their buildings after a major gas leak in central Auckland forced the evacuation of a large number of buildings on the city's waterfront.
A fire communications spokesperson said a digger, working on the corner of Jellicoe and Daldy Streets, had ruptured a 100mm commercial gas main about 8.10am.
"They have taken a number of detector readings from the surrounding buildings and they have all returned negative so they have been able to disperse the gas cloud."
"Once they dispersed the gas cloud and gas main was isolated they checked the levels in the buildings and the people have been allowed to return to their buildings in the last half hour," the spokesman said.
A Waterfront Auckland spokeswoman confirmed the leak had been contained at about 9.30am, and workers have returned to the site.
Vector Electricity has shut down the gas line and is working on repairing the pipe.
Buildings bounded by Beaumont, Jellicoe, Madden and Halsey Streets, including Sanfords and the Auckland Fish Market, were evacuated by police and the fire service.
The leak came just days after a woman was killed and another was seriously injured in a watermain explosion in Onehunga.
A gas leak also forced the evacuation of Elliott Street in central Auckland on Monday.
View Major gas leak in Auckland CBD in a larger map
- with NZPA
