Downtown of Asheville buildings that were evacuated to the gas leak

According to Enbridge Gas North Carolina spokeswoman Persida Montanez, the crews have secured the gas flow in the city center of Asheville.

On Monday at 7 p.m., the crews stopped the leak in the 48 college street. The problem was caused by damage to a gas line by third parties, Montanez said in an email.

“The crews remain on site to carry out repairs and to restore the ErdgasserVice to the customers concerned,” wrote Montanez.

The residents of buildings in downtown Asheville in the retail company were evacuated on Monday afternoon as a strong smell of gas that hung several blocks in the air.

“At 3:12 p.m. we received a call for a potential gas leak in the 27 N Lexington Ave,” said a spokesman for the Asheville Fire Department BPR via e -mail.

The gas company rated the situation and found that it was an underground gas leak.

This was a developing story and has been updated.