HATFIELD — West Street between Linseed Road and Chestnut Street was closed Thursday afternoon due to a gas leak.
Hatfield Police and State Police troopers were on scene in the vicinity of the Route 5 leak, which occurred around noon when a non-utility construction crew accidentally dug into and ruptured a Berkshire Gas service line, said Christopher Farrell, spokesman for the company.
Two Berkshire Gas homes that lost their natural gas service were evacuated as a precaution, and Whately Fire Department assisted in monitoring nearby homes, according to State Police. No further evacuations were planned
Farrell said crews were assessing the damage and developing a repair plan, with those teams working as quickly as possible until repairs could be completed and energy services could be safely restored.
Additional service shutoffs were anticipated during repairs.
About 20 Eversource customers also had their power shut off until Berkshire Gas gave the OK to have it restored.
“We’ve shut off power on West Street as a safety precaution,” said spokeswoman Priscilla Ress.
Customers are reminded to call Berkshire Gas at 800-292-5012 to report gas leaks, odors or damaged gas equipment.
— SCOTT MERZBACH