According to reports, a natural gas leak occurred in Allentown, Pennsylvania, recently, which forced several residents from their homes.
The leak was detected on the morning of Wednesday, September 21, when UGI officials relay a service curb valve on a gas line failed. UGI crew members also explained the affected line was a low pressure gas line, located in the 400 block of East Court Street in Allentown.
In all, 20 homes and 30 people were evacuated. In some instances, firefighters forced their way into homes when residents did not respond to their knocks.
Within an hour of the leak occurring, crews had successfully capped it and began working on repairs. After the leak was stopped, residents in all but three of the evacuated homes were allowed to return to their property, roughly 70 minutes after they were forced out. Some firefighters remained after the incident to ensure safety.
Local traffic was slightly affected by the incident, as all eastbound lanes and one westbound lane of Hanover Avenue were closed during the repairs.
