Several businesses evacuated after a possible gas leak in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Several businesses had to be evacuated, and a street was closed in East Columbus due to a possible gas leak.
Late this morning, the Columbus Police Department and Columbus Fire and Rescue received a call from Atmos about the possible leak.
With help from Columbus Public Works, they shut down a section of South McCrary Road between Alabama Street and Airline Road.
The block contains more than a dozen businesses and is near a retirement and nursing home and a school.
Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said it was important to clear the area for the public’s safety.
“Well, we had to go door-to-door just to evacuate the businesses, and we did that for safety precautions. We want everybody to be safe. We weren’t really sure of what we had or what we didn’t have. But we wanted to make sure that these businesses’ owners, first of all, were notified of the potential threat, and then we also wanted to make sure everybody was safe, so out of caution, we made everybody evacuate from this area,” said Chief Daughtry.
The area had to remain closed while Atmos crews searched for the possible leak.
