Employees evacuated – Gas stench at Richmond Street

Employees of the Ministry of Works, the Cable Company of Trinidad and Tobago and TSTT Net Express on Richmond Street, Port-of-Spain, were evacuated from their offices yesterday due to a strong smell of gas in the area. The employees had complained of the smell on Thursday afternoon, and when they arrived for duty yesterday, the stench was overpowering causing employers to take a decision to evacuate employees. The employees had reason to smile shortly after the evacuation, when they were given the day off. Two engineers from the National Gas Company (ngc) were summoned to the scene and carried out initial checks assisted by fire officers.

The NGC engineers told Newsday they were unable to ascertain the cause of the stench, but assured that it was not as a result of leaking gas lines. Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Brown said he was not aware of the evacuation of employees, or the stench in the Richmond Street area. He claimed the matter was not reported to him by the city engineer but added that he would be looking into it. Fire officers from the Wrightson Road Fire Department, who were also summoned to the scene, quickly left after NGC engineers could find no leaking gas lines in the area. Last year, Frederick Street was closed off due to a strong smell of gas. The area was checked, but no gas leaks were found. It was suggested then that the stench may have been caused by underground rotted garbage.