Gas line rupture in Wake Forest leads to evacuations and road closure

A gas line was ruptured by construction workers on South Brooks Street in Wake Forest between East Owen Avenue and East Wait Avenue around 7 p.m. Tuesday, WRAL reported.

The rupture prompted emergency personnel to close the roadway and evacuate nearby buildings including Wake Forest Town Hall and Norse Brewing as a precaution, according to CBS17 and WRAL.

Authorities issued a shelter-in-place advisory for residents in the surrounding area and urged drivers to avoid the area and use alternate routes downtown, WRAL said.

By 4 a.m. Wednesday, crews had patched the gas leak and were filling the hole where the rupture occurred, but South Brooks Street remained closed until further notice, WRAL reported.

Officials advised anyone smelling a strong natural gas odor near South Brooks Street to call 911 and said additional information would be provided as it becomes available.