A gas leak in Downtown Brooklyn forced dozens of pint-sized scholars to flee their classrooms Thursday morning.
A witness called New York’s Bravest complaining about the odor of gas on Hanover Place near Grove Place at 11 am, and firefighters rushed to investigate the hazard.
Upon confirming the leak, smoke eaters ordered the nearby Science, Language and Arts international School and Hanover Place Learning Center to evacuate faculty and students ages 4–13, who gathered at City Point waiting for first responders to sound the all clear.
Emergency responders called in National Grid to repair the leak, and workers for the utility company claimed third-party contractors caused the leak when they struck an old pipe during a job.
The utility company had the leak under control by 1 pm, allowing the students to get back to class, according to National Grid spokeswoman Karen Young, who noted that the leak didn’t cause any injuries, or interrupt gas service in the area.