Gas main ruptures

Firefighters shut down a road in Feilding for public safety after a gas main ruptured. Emergency services rushed to the intersection of Russell and South streets after a digger hit a gas main just before 11am yesterday. Fire and Emergency spokesman Murray Dunbar said two fire crews from Feilding and one from Milson attended the scene, working to make the area safe as theywaited for contractors to contain the leak. Pedestrians were urged to stay away from the area as the 100 millimetre gas line would be ‘‘discharging a bit of gas’’, Dunbar said. Police assisted firefighters with traffic management closing down the road, police said. They evacuated people from the Coach House Museum as contractors worked to fix the leak.