CLOSTER, NJ — Several homes in Bergen County were evacuated Friday morning after a car hit a gas pipe, causing a leak, officials said.
Closter's Office of Emergency Management said that residents reported a strong odor of natural gas around 5:30 a.m., near the corner of Piermont Road and Chestnut Avenue.
The police and fire departments responded and found that a car struck a PSE&G gas vent pipe, causing a "sizable" gas leak.
Houses in the area were evacuated as a precautionary measure, officials said.
The Office of Emergency Management opened the senior citizen center as a temporary shelter, they said.
The matter was under control before 8 a.m., and there were no further safety threats, officials said in a statement Friday morning.
Mayor John Glidden thanked first responders in statement posted on social media around 11 a.m.
Patch will update this breaking story if more information is available.
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