UPDATE: Downtown cordoned off, evacuated due to gas leak

KAMLOOPS – Part of Victoria Street was evacuated by RCMP Tuesday afternoon after a natural gas line broke on Lansdowne Street. Traffic RCMP continue to block traffic between 1 to 2 Avenues on Lansdowne while Victoria Street businesses have re-opened. Business owners are advised to keep windows open.

While the gas leak has been stopped, Fortis BC is on site to re-establish gas service to the Brownstone restaurant. Workers from the city are temporarily patching the area with gravel before paving can be completed. 

Trains are now operational.

The area evacuated included RBC, United Way, Ploughman's Lunch and Peter's Pasta. Part of the BCLC building was evacuated.

Kamloops Fire and Rescue says the gas line break happened on Lansdowne while an excavator was digging in a construction area.

RCMP and Kamloops Fire Rescue attended the scene and re-routed traffic along Lansdowne Street.

Fire and Rescue said there was no immediate danger from the leak. 

To contact a reporter for this story, email gbrothen@infotelnews.ca, or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

— This story was updated at 12:45 p.m. to include information from Kamloops Fire and Rescue.

— This story was corrected at 1:15 p.m. to say part of BCLC was evacuated.

— This story was updated at 1:29 p.m. to update information on Victoria Street closures.

—This story was updated at 3:26 p.m. to include an update from the City of Kamloops.