Hundreds Evacuate South Bend After Gas Leak

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(SOUTH BEND, Ind.) — A break in a high-pressure natural gas line has forced hundreds of people to evacuate buildings in a four-square-block area of downtown South Bend.
Police Capt. Phil Trent says the break was reported about 8:20 a.m. Thursday.
Northern Indiana Public Service Co. spokesman Mike Charbonneau says the line was damaged by a contractor working on a street project. (See the top 10 news stories of 2009.)
Trent says at least several hundred people have evacuated their buildings in the area, and that police routed vehicles out of the area, causing rush-hour traffic to snarl. He did not know how long it will take to cap the leak.
Among the buildings evacuated are the city-county building and the St. Joseph County Courthouse, which Trent says will be closed all day.