LONDON: Firefighters have closed Charing Cross railway station in central London and evacuated the surrounding area after the discovery of a natural gas leak.
Almost 1,500 people were evacuated from a hotel and night club in central London overnight and two train stations were closed following a gas leak, authorities said Tuesday.
People have been asked to stay away from the Strand area, near Trafalgar Square, after some 1,450 people were evacuated from hotels and businesses early Tuesday. The Metropolitan Police Service says the disruption is expected to last "some time," and roads in the area remain closed.
The fire brigade says the disruption was caused by "high levels of natural gas coming off of a ruptured gas main in Craven Street."
"A ruptured gas main was discovered using detection equipment and high levels of natural gas were detected in the atmosphere," a London Fire Brigade spokesman said.
"As a precaution, approximately 1,450 people have been evacuated. They are from a hotel and a night club."
Charing Cross and Waterloo East train stations, which brings commuters into the capital, were also closed, while Tube trains were not stopping at Charing Cross.
The Strand, a major road running from Trafalgar Square to Waterloo Bridge, was also closed and people were asked to avoid the area.
The Fire Brigade said they did not yet know the cause of the gas leak, but engineers were attending.
A spokesman for the Cadent Gas company said: "We are working with the emergency services and as a safety precaution an exclusion zone has been put in place.
"The Amba Hotel, nearby flats, offices and Charing Cross stations were evacuated."
It is the second time in recent weeks that a gas leak has caused disruption in central London. Another incident took place in Westminster on Jan. 9.