Update: Around 8:15 p.m., Santa Monica Fire Department officials announced the leak had been repaired and service to the area has restored
Construction crews hit gas line Monday afternoon
By Sam Catanzaro
A gas leak has prompted evacuations in Downtown Santa Monica.
The leak was reported Monday afternoon in the area of Santa Monica Boulevard between 2nd Street and 4th Street.
The Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) HazMat team responded to the scene, describing the event as a “major gas leak”.
According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), the leak started when a construction crew working in the area hit a two-inch gas line around 3 p.m.
The event has prompted business evacuations in the area, which are expected to be lifted after 9 p.m. after SoCalGas crews finish sealing the leak. No residential evacuations have been called for.
All businesses on the Promenade in the area of the closure (between Broadway and Arizona) were closed while the area was being secured.
As of 5:30 p.m. Monday, no injuries were reported.