Rotting durian fruit sparks gas leak alert

The pungent smell of the rotten durian fruit at an Australian university library was mistaken for a gas leak, prompting an evacuation of the building.

Specialist crews wearing masks searched the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University campus library on Saturday, but all they found was durian, known for its strong smell, rotting in a cupboard.

About 600 staff and students were evacuated. A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman said the smell had caused alarmed as it had permeated the air-conditioning system.