Close to 5,000 Hydro-Quebec customers in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough were without power Monday afternoon after a gas leak earlier in the day.
Montreal fire department spokesperson Louise Desrosiers said the leak happened at around 11:00 a.m. on Notre-Dame Street.
READ MORE: NDG residents return home after gas leak, water main break prompt evacuations and power outages
Desrosiers said at least eight buildings on Notre-Dame Street, between Vinet and Charlevoix, were evacuated, but couldn’t say how many people were affected.
The evacuated buildings are mixed-use or commercial and residential.
By 4:00 p.m., the leak had yet to be capped according to Desrosiers, who explained the 3/4 inch plastic pipe of natural gas was quite deep.
“They’re working, digging, making sure they have the right place,” she said.
Also because of the depth of the pipe, a stabilizing structure was needed to prevent the soil from collapsing, Desrosiers added.
READ MORE: Gas leak in Montreal’s south shore forces hundreds of evacuations, closure of St-Hubert airport
At least 30 firefighters were at the scene working to secure the area.
Motorists were being asked to avoid the neighborhood, as Notre-Dame Street was closed between Atwater Avenue and Georges-Vanier Boulevard.
While the work was expected to be done by 6:00 p.m. and power restored to the area, Desrosiers urged residents to be patient.
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“We are working to make sure people are safe,” she said.
By 6:30 p.m., the fire department said the situation was under control, but close to 3,000 Hydro-Quebec customers were still without power.
They were expected to be back on the grid by 9:15 p.m.
However, in the process of restoring power, a breaker jumped and damaged some equipment, leaving 1205 customers still without electricity.
According to Hydro-Quebec, power is expected to be fully restored by 11:15 p.m.
Montreal fire department spokesperson Patrick Fournel said it took more than six hours to cap the leak, but the danger is over.
After capping the leak, firefighters took measurements to detect the presence of natural gas, as well as to ensure the pipe was properly sealed and that there are no further leakages.
However, when restoring power, a breaker jumped and damaged some equipment.
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