Dozens of elderly and disabled residents were evacuated from a seven-story public housing complex on Water Street on Monday afternoon after workers struck a natural gas main. Weymouth Fire Capt. Brad Flannery said a private contractor collecting soil samples at Pope Towers, 25 Water St., struck a two-inch gas main at about 12:45 p.m. Monday. Flannery said the contractor “took all necessary precautions,” and the area was incorrectly marked as safe to dig.
The company notified the fire department and firefighters decided to evacuate the building because of the strong smell of natural gas in the building, which Flannery said was the result of the leak being near a vent and a door to the building. A heavy odor of gas hung in the air as about 60 residents were evacuated from Pope Towers, an apartment complex owned by the Weymouth Housing Authority.
“It was a little bit difficult because many of the residents are elderly, infirm and have mobility issues,” Flannery said.