London fire officials, Union Gas rule out natural gas leak in investigation of weird odour

The London Fire Department has located the source of a foul odour in the city’s south end but city officials have not reported the cause.

In a release Friday afternoon, officials stated that the Ministry of the Environment has been called in and confirmed that there are no health or safety concerns for Londoners as a result. Work is being done to lessen the odour but it may persist throughout the weekend, according to the City of London.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

London fire chief John Kobarda told 980 CFPL that the first call over a possible gas leak came early Friday morning.

“We responded to the south end with the hazmat team and couldn’t find any cause. As the morning progressed, we ended up I think so far a total of 12 or 14 calls that we’ve gone to. Speaking to Union Gas, we believe that they’ve had 60 calls.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We responded to the south end with the hazmat team and couldn't find any cause. As the morning progressed, we ended up I think so far a total of 12 or 14 calls that we've gone to. Speaking to Union Gas, we believe that they've had 60 calls."

Speaking to 980 CFPL before the source of the smell was located, Kobarda said it had been described as “spicy, burned, somewhat sweet” and that they believed it was coming from something rotting.