Jacksonville Fire and Emergency Services members used Jacksonville Transit buses to evacuate 10 children from a private school after a gas line was damaged on Roosevelt Road.
A call was received at 8:38AM Thursday when the leak was found. Fire and Emergency Services quickly responded and determined that the students at a school near the leak should be evacuated. Jacksonville Transit was called and transported the students to the NorthwoodsRecreation Center on Henderson Drive. Parents were made aware they could pick up their children at that site.
The children were aged 5-15 and were part of a school operated by Grace Baptist Church at that location.
City crews were working to repair a sewer line in the area of the church when they hit the unmarked gas line. A location service had determined the presence of a gas line on the opposite side of the street, but not a feed line that was under the pavement.
Piedmont Natural Gas was called and began repairs. City crews will resume their work once the gas line is repaired.
The incident will be reviewed by the City after the repairs are made.