Residents within a radius of around 300 meters were also asked to leave their apartments and houses and get to safety. A primary school was evacuated and the students were picked up.
The leak was reported around 11 a.m. and may have been due to a faulty valve. According to the spokeswoman, the defect may have occurred during maintenance or repair work. Technicians tried to close the valve again in the afternoon. If this does not succeed, the operation could possibly drag on for several more days, said the city spokeswoman.