Gas leak in Rühen forces evacuation of 30 residents after construction mishap
A gas leak in Rühen forced the evacuation of around 30 residents on Saturday afternoon. Emergency services quickly sealed the area after construction work damaged a residential gas line. The incident prompted a swift response from firefighters, paramedics, and police.
The leak was reported at 2:20 p.m. on Lerchenstraße, where a single-family home's gas supply line was ruptured during building work. Fire crews from Rühen immediately cordoned off the street and guided nearby residents to safety.
Regional gas supplier **LSW** intervened within half an hour, first sealing the damaged section before fully shutting off the pipeline. This stopped the uncontrolled flow of gas and stabilised the situation. After confirming the area was secure, authorities allowed evacuated residents to return to their homes. No details have been released about past preparations by **LSW** for similar incidents in the Gifhorn region. It also remains unclear whether new measures will be introduced to prevent future pipeline damage during construction.
The gas leak was contained without injuries, and normal operations resumed shortly after. Emergency teams and LSW worked together to resolve the issue quickly. Residents were able to go back inside once the pipeline was secured and the area declared safe.
