More than 700 elementary school students evacuated after gas leak

By Bianca Buono

bbuono@abc6.com

@BBuonoABC6

More than 700 elementary school students were evacuated Wednesday afternoon after a gas leak next to their school. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but it made for a chaotic scene in Fall River.

"I was going kind of crazy because my kids in there,” said Christopher Diaz, an elementary school parent.

Panic ensued in Fall River after a large gas leak at the former New Harbour Mall.

"They’re renovating the mall into a new shopping center. During construction they hit a gas main causing a severe leak,” said Fall River District Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon.

That leak was so severe that fire officials were sent to nearby Letourneau Elementary School to check the air quality there.

"This school is an area of concern anytime we have something over there," said Bacon.

Officials then evacuated the school.

"The school department assisted by the fire department evacuated the school’s 720 kids,” said Bacon.

Those hundreds of students had to be bused over to Durfee High School where parents anxiously waited to pick them up.

"They called us saying that there was a gas leak I guess,” Diaz said.

"Seeing all of these buses and having to wait knowing my daughter is already in the building it’s tough,” said Tanya Guyton, another parent.

Meanwhile, a gas company was able to secure the leak after gas was completely shut off in the area.

Parents, many of whom had to leave work to rush to Durfee, were relieved that nobody was hurt.

"Nothing would be worse if they weren’t out of that building,” said Guyton.

"Anything could happen,” said Diaz.

© WLNE-TV 2017