ASBURY PARK − A gas main break Monday morning on Bangs and Prospect avenues forced some 200 to 300 people from their homes, businesses and other places, officials said.
A contractor broke the 4-inch main shortly after 10 a.m., Asbury Park Police Sgt. Michael Casey said. The break was contained at 12:08 p.m., he said.
Among the places evacuated was the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School at 1200 Bangs Ave., where only a few people were on site because of summer hours, Asbury Park Fire Chief Kevin Keddy said.
A church and a business were also evacuated as well as about 100 homes, Casey said.
Three police officers reported feeling light-headed but they refused treatment, Casey said. There were no reported injuries.
Several blocks around the site of the main break were evacuated, city Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Garrett Giberson said.
About 30 to 40 evacuees went to the Asbury Park Senior Center on Springwood Avenue, he said.
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Parts of Bangs, Prospect and Madison avenues were shut down to allow for repairs. Workers had to dig into the street to find the valve, Keddy said.
Michael Kinney, spokesperson for New Jersey Natural Gas, said the contractor was performing sewerage work when the 4-inch plastic main was ruptured.
Workers for the gas company arrived at the scene 15 minutes after being notified and were able to squeeze off the main in about an hour and 45 minutes, Kinney said.
Repair work will continue into this afternoon, he said.
The main break affected service to only two customers, Kinney said.
Ken Serrano covers breaking news, crime and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or kserrano@gannettnj.com .
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Asbury Park gas main break Monday morning forces evacuations of 200-300 people
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