Midtown apartment complexes evacuated due to gas leak

ATLANTA — A Southern Co. gas crew's efforts to fix a gas leak Tuesday night were slowed by heavy rain.

The line break led to the evacuation of two apartment buildings and six businesses in midtown on Ponce de Leon Avenue, including Mike Glover's restaurant, Nancy’s Chicago Pizza.

"We were sitting here when it happened you got the strong smell of gas. We all got up to go outside and we realized somebody must have hit a pipe," Glover told Channel 2's Carl Willis. "It was so strong. Very strong."

Atlanta Fire Rescue Department personnel swarmed the area and block traffic for hours.

People who live and work in the area say S&N Communications was installing Google Fiber for high-speed Internet in the area. However, a spokesperson for Google Fiber says the gas leak was not related to Google Fiber or one of its contractors.

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"We had gas readings at a number of manhole covers along this section of Ponce de Leon, which is why we're taking the precaution we're taking," said Sgt. Cortez Stafford, with the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department.

Some residents had to leave their apartments for several hours on short notice.

"They started coming in going door-to-door," neighbor Ihab Pothiawala said.

The Public Safety Commission is investigating the Google Fiber contractor. A commissioner told Willis excavators could be fined $10,000 each time a utility line is damaged under the Georgia Utility Facility Protection Act,

"Obviously, it's costing the city money it's inconveniencing a lot of people the responsibility lies on those companies to make sure it doesn't happen," Pothiawala told Willis.

"It was a mistake. They were doing some construction outside. They hit something but everybody's safe. We've just got to get back to business," Glover said.

Cox Media Group