Friday, March 27, 2015

CONSTRUCTION CREWS WORKING AT KROGER GROCERY STORE IN MONROE, MI PIERCED A GAS LINE THURSDAY AFTERNOON LEADING TO THE EVACUATION OF RESIDENTS AND THE SUPERMARKET.





MARCH 27, 2015

MONROE TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN

Construction crews working at Kroger grocery store accidentally (?) pierced a gas line Thursday afternoon leading to the evacuation of residents and the supermarket. 

No one was injured and no property appeared to be damaged by the leak, which occurred around 4 p.m. along the service drive at the northern end of Kroger near Cass St. 

Monroe Township Fire Inspector Lt. Calvin Schmitt said gas flowed freely in the area and could be detected easily by people in the vicinity. 

Although natural gas does dissipate easily, especially with a strong breeze, the situation nonetheless was dangerous if gas happened to settle inside nearby houses. 

“You have several natural ignition sources that could have caused an explosion,” Lt. Schmitt said.
Several houses on Long Ct. and Cass St. were evacuated. 

Customers and staff members at Kroger also were evacuated for about 2 1⁄2 hours before the supermarket was reopened to the public. 

Employees at the nearby Monroe Bank & Trust branch were sent home early.
Lt. Schmitt said workers in the area were in the process of relocating water mains as part of the Kroger expansion project. 

Miss Dig did mark the areas where gas lines were, Lt. Schmitt said. But they apparently were close in proximity to the water lines and a line was hit during excavation. 

Repairmen dug a second hole 50 to 75 feet away from the ruptured line and clamped it. Then crews repaired the damaged line. The area was blocked off near Jones Ave. and Cass St. during the incident.
Source: http://www.monroenews.com/