Gas leak

Update: The Loyalist Parkway was reopened at the east of Wellington at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon. OPP have determined that the gas leak has been controlled and the area deemed safe.

11:50 Wednesday morning:

Workers hit and ruptured a gas line in Wellington this morning a little after 9 a.m. in the vicinity of a new gas station in the village. Workers rushed to nearby homes suggesting they leave the area. The County Fire Department was on the scene very quickly after the leak was discovered and evacuated about 20 homes on the east side of Wellington. They also closed the Loyalist Parkway forcing traffic to detour north on Belleville Road over to Conley Road where motorists can rejoin the main east west route through the County. The gas company is on site and working to isolate the leak.

Wellington resident Jean Wallace (R) chats with Deputy Fire Chief Robert Rutter. Wallace was one of 20 residents evacuated from their Main Street homes. OPP and Union Gas have still not determined when residents will be allowed to return to their homes.

Wellington resident Jean Wallace was one of the evacuated neighbours leaving with just her portable phone.

No word yet on when evacuated residents will be allowed back into their homes. It is the second time in a couple weeks families on the east side of Wellington have been evacuated from their homes due to a rupture of a gas line. A car miscalculated the turn from Loyalist Parkway onto Belleville Road hitting a home and its gas metre. No injuries have been reported in either incident.