Residents evacuated after truck carrying gas bottles crashes

Residents of a Christchurch suburb have been evacuated from their homes after a truck laden with LPG gas bottles crashed this evening.

The truck, which was carrying around 22 of the 45kg gas cylinders, crashed on Glenstrae Rd in Mt Pleasant about 4.45pm.

About 10 to 12 of the LPG bottles were full at the time, Canterbury police said.

The driver was taken to hospital, however his condition was not known, police said. Earlier reports said he was uninjured.

A number of houses in the immediate vicinity had been evacuated as a precautionary measure, Fire Service southern communications centre manager Andrew Norris said.

Firefighters from four fire trucks were at the scene working to make the area safe, he said.

Cordons have been set up on McCormacks Bay Rd, police said, with the clean-up expected to take at least an hour.

The public have been warned to avoid the area