Nearly 5,000 evacuated after City gas leak
Buildings and roads around Old Broad Street were cleared after a damaged gas main was found.
About 4,700 people were evacuated from buildings in the City of London on Tuesday after a gas main was damaged on Old Broad Street. Firefighters established a 200-metre cordon while emergency crews and the gas network operator worked to make the area safe.
The London Fire Brigade said it was called at about 10:55 BST to Old Broad Street, where crews found a ruptured six-inch gas main near a six-storey office building. The incident affected an area between Threadneedle Street and London Wall, in one of the City’s busiest commercial districts.
A Cadent spokesperson said the pipe had been severely damaged by a private construction team. Cadent said the work was not connected with the company or its own pipework, and that repair teams were sent to the scene.
Nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution. The fire brigade said two fire engines from Dowgate and Shadwell fire stations and a fire rescue unit from Bethnal Green were involved in the response.
The cordon also affected traffic. The A1211 Wormwood Street was closed in both directions between Bishopsgate and London Wall, while bus routes 21, 43, 100, 141 and 153 were diverted. A live update from the Evening Standard said rail and Underground services at Liverpool Street appeared to be unaffected.
The Evening Standard later reported that the London Fire Brigade said the gas leak had been resolved. Cadent nevertheless said it was working with firefighters to ensure the site was fully safe before people were allowed to return to affected buildings.
The immediate reports did not give details of injuries or structural damage. They also provided no explanation for why the construction work damaged the main beyond Cadent’s description. The incident is therefore best understood as a major precautionary evacuation that disrupted transport, with the longer-term consequences still unclear.
Fact-check Approved · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The main facts are consistently supported by BBC and Evening Standard reporting published on 13 October. The article clearly separates confirmed information from details that remained unavailable at publication time.
- confirmed About 4,700 people were evacuated from buildings in the City of London. — Reported by both BBC News and the Evening Standard. source
- confirmed The London Fire Brigade was called at about 10:55 BST to Old Broad Street and found a ruptured six-inch gas main. — Reported by BBC News and the Evening Standard. source
- confirmed A 200-metre cordon was established between Threadneedle Street and London Wall. — Reported by both public sources. source
- confirmed Bus routes 21, 43, 100, 141 and 153 were diverted. — Listed in the Evening Standard live update. source
- confirmed The London Fire Brigade later said the gas-leak incident had been resolved. — Reported in the Evening Standard’s 13:57 update. source
Editor's note
The evacuation, damaged gas main, cordon and transport disruption are reported by two public sources. The cause beyond the damage attributed to private construction work, and any injuries or lasting damage, had not been fully established in the available reports.Sources
- Almost 5,000 evacuated in City of London gas leak — BBC News
- City of London gas leak LIVE: Almost 5,000 evacuated as large cordon thrown up — The Standard via AOL
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