Gas leak in the city

LATE night limers in Port-of-Spain were ordered away from Independence Square, Frederick and Queen Streets around midnight, after police reported getting the strong scent of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) emanating from that area.

Police based at the Mobile Unit on Independence Square sent a distress call to Fire Headquarters on Wrightson Road around 10.45 pm, requesting help after the overpowering smell pervaded Frederick Street and Independence Square.

As a precautionary measure, firemen and police officers parked their marked vehicles at strategic points between Frederick Street and Independence Square and maintained a careful vigil while they waited on experts from NP to arrive on the scene.

According to Acting Fire Station Officer (FSO) Bernie Castillo, firemen who arrived on the scene discovered the smell was the strongest at a man-hole on the western side of lower Frederick Street, where several popular malls including Town Centre, Colsort Mall and Excellent City Centre are located.

Dozens of limers stood in silence on Broadway opposite the Cipriani Roundabout, as firemen armed with high-powered torches searched for the source of the gas. Firemen suspect the leak most likely came from inside one of the malls on Frederick Street. Around 1 am, NP engineer, Stephen Arneaud,  arrived on the scene and police, under Insp Lennard Gay, were out patrolling the perimeter where the gas scent was strongest.

Traffic was diverted from the blocked-off areas, and late night travellers had to seek taxis on the perimeter of the downtown area.

Up to press time the search was still on for the source of the gas leak.