Ruptured gas main on Old Broad Street forces about 4,700 out of City buildings

About 4,700 people had to leave buildings around Old Broad Street in the City of London on Tuesday after a gas main burst at an office block.

London Fire Brigade took the call at about 10.55am. At a six-storey office building, firefighters discovered that a six-inch main carrying gas had split open.

Cordon between Threadneedle Street and London Wall

Police tape went up across a 200m stretch from Threadneedle Street to London Wall. The brigade cleared the buildings next to the leak to be on the safe side. Two engines, crewed from Dowgate and Shadwell fire stations, went to the scene, and Bethnal Green sent a fire rescue unit.

The London Ambulance Service sent its hazardous area response team and an incident response officer. It said nobody was hurt and it had no patients.

Shortly before 2pm the brigade declared the incident over. The cordon came down and people went back into the buildings. A receptionist at one of the cleared offices said staff there had smelt gas before the evacuation began. They spent roughly two hours outside waiting for updates, and at 1.05pm they were told they could return. “We’re relieved,” the receptionist said.

Great Winchester Street closed for repairs

Cadent said the pipe had been “severely damaged by a private construction team”. Its engineers are on site fixing it, and Great Winchester Street will stay shut until the repair is complete.

A Cadent spokesperson stressed that the building work responsible for the damage was not linked to the company in any way, and that its own pipework played no part.