police gas leak
A gas leak was reported in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Thursday, reportedly leaving more than 60,000 people without gas in the area. This is a representational image of police practicing an evacuation drill in Los Angeles, California, Sept. 9, 2004. David McNew/Getty Images

Police and fire crews from Tulsa, Oklahoma, evacuated businesses, homes and closed a part of Memorial Drive after an explosion and a large natural gas leak was reported Thursday.

Authorities were called at 3:02 p.m. local time (4:02 p.m. EST) Thursday after a truck hit a 16-inch gas line at a construction site near 21st Street, causing the explosion. The driver suffered minor injuries and was treated almost immediately. The police also had several emergency crews on standby.

Police officers reported a strong smell of natural gas and cut the power supply in the area to prevent ignition. They also urged the residents to stay away from the area and closed all the businesses in the two-block radius.

More than 2,000 customers in the area were left without electricity and over 60,000 without gas services. A spokesman for the Tulsa Fire Department said they were trying to fix the gas line and restore services by 10 p.m.

Police evacuated all the businesses and houses in the area including a nearby nursing home for senior citizens which had more than 200 inmates. Some of the residents had their families pick them up while the others were taken to a family reunification center at a Methodist church in the area.

A spokesperson for Tulsa Public Schools said Nathan Hale High School which is in the area cancelled all after-school practices and activities Thursday.

According to the initial police reports, there was a loud explosion and lots of smoke at the street construction site.

Nearly five hours after the leak, residents were allowed to return to their homes. Meanwhile, more than 50 employees of the Oklahoma Natural Gas were on the scene trying to restore the services.

This is a developing story.

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