Police and the fire service have cordoned off a 200 metre area in Tokoroa, after contractors burst a gas main.
A fire spokesman said the natural gas main had been ruptured this morning in Clyde St.
A school, a kindergarten and houses in neighbouring streets have been evacuated, as emergency
services wait for Vector contractors to arrive on scene to seal the break.
"There's no immediate danger, we just need to keep people clear of it," he said.
Pam Anscombe, who lives about 50 metres from where the main was struck on Clyde St, said the smell of gas was almost overwhelming, even behind the cordon 200 metres away.
