The Associated Press
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A break in a high-pressure natural gas line has forced hundreds of people to evacuate buildings in a four-square-block area of downtown South Bend.
Police Capt. Phil Trent says the break was reported about 8:20 a.m. Thursday.
Northern Indiana Public Service Co. spokesman Mike Charbonneau says the line was damaged by a contractor working on a street project.
Trent says at least several hundred people have evacuated their buildings in the area, and that police routed vehicles out of the area, causing rush-hour traffic to snarl. He did not know how long it will take to cap the leak.
Among the buildings evacuated are the city-county building and the St. Joseph County Courthouse, which Trent says will be closed all day.