People evacuated following gas leak at vehicle LPG station in Surin

Local residents were safely evacuated from a vehicle LPG station in Muang district of Surin province on Tuesday morning after a gas pipe leakage caused an explosion scare.

Rescue officials took over two hours to shut off the valve of the LPG storage tank at the station, stopping the leakage at a pipe leading to a gas dispenser.

Officials said the gas pipe leak at the station on the Surin-Lam Chi Road in Ban Takhian village in Tambon Khor Kho was caused by a subsiding concrete floor that collapsed onto the pipe.

Officials said that section of the road was under water and the concrete floor of the gas station collapsed because of the weight of the flood water, causing the pipe to leak.

People evacuated following gas leak at vehicle LPG station in Surin The leaked gas could be smelt about 300 metres around the station.

While rescue workers tried to shut off the valve, police cordoned off the station. Local residents were moved to at least 500 metres away for fear of a gas explosion.

People evacuated following gas leak at vehicle LPG station in Surin White fumes of the leaked gas were clearly visible above the hole. Rescue workers doused the hole with water while some were sent to shut off the valve.