Offices Evacuated After Gas Pipe Ruptures
Workers digging at a Ventura intersection mistakenly hit an underground pipeline Wednesday, sending natural gas fumes into the air and through a nearby sewer system while forcing the evacuation of employees from several businesses.
No one was injured in the 11:30 a.m. incident at Market Street and Telephone Road. Witnesses said several workers in the underground trench were showered with water, mud and rocks after a boring machine they were operating hit the pipeline. More than 100 people were forced to leave their offices after release of the gas, which is invisible but has a pungent odor.
A company subcontracted by Adelphia Communications was operating the machine, said Battalion Chief Kevin Rennie of the Ventura Fire Department.
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