Gas line struck at North Andover Mall

Jan. 20—NORTH ANDOVER — Stores were evacuated and the odor of natural gas wafted through sections of North Andover and Lawrence Thursday morning after a service line was struck at the North Andover Mall on Winthrop Avenue.

"It was a contractor working in the rear of the building, trying to dig a trench," said Chief John Weir of the North Andover Fire Department.

A crew from Deloury Construction in Andover struck the line with an excavator while working on a new restaurant at the eastern end of the mall, Weir said.

The North Andover Fire Department was notified of the incident at 7:53 a.m., and responded with several trucks and an ambulance.

"On scene we called Eversource, as the gas provider, and National Grid, in case we had to cut power," Weir said. "The North Andover Police Department responded as well to assist us with securing the area."

Stores in the eastern half of the mall, including Kohl's department store and Bollywood Grill, were evacuated while gas levels were monitored.

"We secured the area in back to traffic, and then the gas company came and we monitored the situation while we were able to shut the leak down," Weir said. "They'll have to make repairs to the line."

The fire department checked homes and their basements along Waverly Road for the presence of gas, and sent out notifications about the odor to North Andover and Lawrence.

Gas was carried along Waverly Road by wind, and could be smelled as far away as the North Andover Middle School and Anne Bradstreet Early Childhood Center, Weir said.

"We checked the schools and sent crews to make sure it was what we expected, and it was, just a smell outside," he said.

The mall was cleared, and people were allowed back into stores at 11:51 a.m., Weir said.

"The City of Lawrence and Andover sent mutual aid over while we were working to mitigate the gas emergency and we appreciate their assistance," he said.