Gas leak forces street closures

A busy area of suburban Auckland was evacuated for over an hour and-a-half after a major gas leak this morning.

The leak occurred when a digger ruptured a large gas main near the intersection of Mt Albert Road and Alberton Avenue about 11.40am.

Fire fighters were concerned the situation could get serious if the gas came into contact with a naked flame.

Balmoral fire station officer Roy Harris said three pipes in all had to be clamped and that caused traffic delays.

He said about half a kilometre of the main arterial route was closed until about 1pm.

Traffic was also brought to a standstill while Mt Albert Road was closed between New North Road and Owairaka Avenue by police.

Inspector Ian Brooker said there was congestion in the area and some drivers attempted to bypass the closures.